(jsnuorij     i  .    u 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


1\BOOK  STORE- 

216218   W   SECOND    ST.. 

LOS  AN6ELESi_CAU 


'-, 


THE   VERBALIST 


A   MANUAL 

DEVOTED  TO  BRIEF  DISCUSSIONS  OF  THE  RIGHT 
AND  THE  WRONG    USE  OF  WORDS 

AND    TO    SOME    OTHER    MATTERS    OF    INTEREST    TO    THOSE    WHO 
WOULD    SPEAK    AND    WRITE    WITH    PROPRIETY 


BY 

ALFRED   AYRES 

We  remain  shackled  by  timidity  till  we  have  learned  to 
speak  with  propriety. — Johnson. 

As  a  man  is  known  by  his  company,  so  a  man's  company 
may  be  known  by  his  manner  ot  expressing  himself. — Swift. 


NEW  AND  REVISED  EDITION,  MUCH  ENLARGED 


NEW   YORK  AND   LONDON 

D.    APPLETON    AND    COMPANY 

1911 


Copyright,  1881,  1896, 
By    D.    APPLETON   AND   COMPANY. 


Copyright,  1909, 
By  FRANK  E.  TREMAIN. 


Printed  in  the  United  States  of  America 


\Vt 


l<\\\ 


PREFACE    TO    REVISED    EDITION. 


I  know  I  have  succeeded  in  making  this 
book  much  larger  than  it  was  in  the  previous 
editions,  and  I  think  I  have  succeeded  in  mak- 
ing it  as  much  better  as  I  have  made  it  larger. 
It  certainly  is  now  by  far  the  most  compre- 
hensive book  of  its  kind  in  the  language. 

I  have  gathered  the  new  matter,  little  by 
little,  during  the  last  five  or  six  years,  and  I 
trust  that  little  has  escaped  me  that  I  ought  to 
have  gathered. 

Of  the  new  matter,  there  is  nothing  that  is 
newer,  or  possibly  of  more  importance,  than 
what  will  be  found  under  the  heading  Noun- 
Construction. 

If  the  book  is  now  not  so  good  as  it  should 
be,  then — it  should  have  had  another  author. 

A.  A. 

New  York,  January,  /Sg6. 


iii 


5£       L4 


PREFACE  TO   FIRST  EDITION. 


The  title-page  sufficiently  sets  forth  the 
end  this  little  book  is  intended  to  serve. 

For  convenience'  sake  I  have  arranged  in 
alphabetical  order  the  subjects  treated  of,  and 
for  economy's  sake  I  have  kept  in  mind  that 
"  he  that  uses  many  words  for  the  explaining 
of  any  subject  doth,  like  the  cuttle-fish,  hide 
himself  in  his  own  ink." 

The  curious  inquirer  who  sets  himself  to 
look  for  the  learning  in  the  book  is  advised 
that  he  will  best  find  it  in  such  works  as 
George  P.  Marsh's  Lectures  on  the  English 
Language,  Fitz-Edward  Hall's  Recent  Exem- 
plifications of  False  Philology,  and  Modern 
English,  Richard  Grant  White's  Words  and 
Their  Uses,  Edward  S.  Gould's  Good  English, 

iv 


PREFACE    TO   FIRST  EDITION.  v 

William  Mathews'  Words :  their  Use  and 
Abuse,  Dean  Alford's  The  Queen's  English, 
George  Washington  Moon's  Bad  English,  and 
The  Dean's  English,  Blank's  Vulgarisms  and 
Other  Errors  of  Speech,  Alexander  Bain's 
English  Composition  and  Rhetoric,  Bain's 
Higher  English  Grammar,  Bain's  Composi- 
tion Grammar,  Quackenbos*  Composition  and 
Rhetoric,  John  Nichol's  English  Composition, 
William  Cobbett's  English  Grammar,  Peter 
Bullion's  English  Grammar,  Goold  Brown's 
Grammar  of  English  Grammars,  Graham's 
English  Synonymes,  Bigelow's  Hand-book  of 
Punctuation,  and  other  kindred  works. 

Suggestions  and  criticisms  are  solicited, 
with  the  view  of  profiting  by  them  in  future 
editions. 

If  The  Verbalist  receive  as  kindly  a  wel- 
come as  its  companion  volume,  The  Orthoe- 
pist,  has  received,  I  shall  be  content. 

A.  A. 

New  York,  October,  1881. 


Eschew  fine  words  as  you  would  rouge— Hark. 

Cant  is  properly  a  double-distilled  lie ;  the  second 
power  of  a  lie. — Carlyle. 

If  a  gentleman  be  to  study  any  language,  it  ought  to  be 
that  of  his  own  country. — Locke. 

In  language  the  unknown  is  generally  taken  for  the 
magnificent. — Richard  Grant  White. 

He  who  has  a  superlative  for  everything,  wants  a  meas- 
ure for  the  great  or  small. — Lavater. 

Inaccurate  writing  is  generally  the  expression  of  inac- 
curate thinking. — Richard  Grant  White. 

To  acquire  a  few  tongues  is  the  labor  of  a  few  years  ;  but 
to  be  eloquent  in  one  is  the  labor  of  a  life. — Anonymous. 

Words  and  thoughts  are  so  inseparably  connected  that 
an  artist  in  words  is  necessarily  an  artist  in  thoughts. — 
Wilson. 

It  is  an  invariable  maxim  that  words  which  add  nothing 
to  the  sense  or  to  the  clearness  must  diminish  the  force  of 
the  expression. — Campbell. 

Propriety  of  thought  and  propriety  of  diction  are  com- 
monly found  together.  Obscurity  of  expression  generally 
springs  from  confusion  of  ideas. — MACAULAY. 


Tl 


THE  VERBALIST. 


A.  Errors  are  not  infrequently  made  by  omitting  to  re- 
peat the  article  in  a  sentence.  It  should  always  be  repeated 
before  an  adjective  that  qualifies  a  distinct  thing.  "  He  has 
a  black  and  white  horse."  If  two  horses  is  meant,  it  is  clear 
that  it  should  be,  "  lie  has  a  black  and  a  white  one." 

"  The  creed  supposes  the  coexistence  of  a  benevolent 
and  [a]  malevolent  principle."     A  principle  can  not  be  at- 
once  benevolent  and  malevolent. 

"  Something  is  said  of  the  speculative  doubts  and  diffi- 
culties through  which  he  won  his  way  to  a  more  settled 
and  [a]  happier  frame  of  mind."  The  repetition  here  is 
not  imperative  ;  it  is  simply  a  question  of  euphony. 

Sometimes  pleonastic : 

"  No  stronger  and  stranger  a  figure  than  his  is  described 
in  our  modern  history  of  England."  Not  only  is  the  a  here 
superfluous,  but  the  sentence  is  otherwise  most  clumsily 
constructed.  It  is  bettered  thus  :  "  No  figure  stronger  and 
stranger  than  his  is  described,"  etc.  ;  or,  "  No  figure  is 
described  in  our  modern  history  of  England  stronger  and 
stranger  than  his." 

Ability — Capacity.  The  distinctions  between  these 
two  words  are  not  always  observed  by  those  who  use  them. 
"Capacity  is  the  power  of  receiving  and  retaining  knowl- 
edge with  facility  ;  ability  is  the  power  of  applying  knowl- 

1 


2  THE    VERBALIST. 

edge  to  practical  purposes.  Both  these  faculties  are  requi- 
site to  form  a  great  character :  capacity  to  conceive,  and 
ability  to  execute  designs.  Capacity  is  shown  in  quickness 
of  apprehension.  Ability  supposes  something  done  ;  some- 
thing by  which  the  mental  power  is  exercised  in  executing, 
or  performing,  what  has  been  perceived  by  the  capacity." — 
Graham's  English  Synonymes. 

Abortive.  An  outlandish  use  of  this  word  may  be  oc- 
casionally met  with,  especially  in  the  newspapers.  "  A 
lad  was  yesterday  caught  in  the  act  of  abortively  appro- 
priating a  pair  of  shoes."  That  is  abortive  that  is  un- 
timely, that  has  not  been  borne  its  full  time,  that  is  im- 
mature. We  often  hear  abortion  used  in  the  sense  of  fail- 
ure, but  never  by  those  who  study  to  express  themselves  in 
chaste  English. 

Above.  There  is  little  authority  for  using  this  word 
as  an  adjective  or  as  a  noun.  Such  expressions  as  "the 
above  statement"  or  "it  seems  from  the  above"  are  not 
sanctioned  by  careful  writers.  It  is  better  to  say,  "  the 
foregoing  or  preceding  statement,  or  paragraph."  Such  ex- 
pressions as  the  above-mentioned,  the  above  referred  to,  and 
the  above  related  are  perhaps  permissible,  but  the  diction 
would  be  bettered  by  using  already  instead  of  above. 

Above  is  also  used  inelegantly  for  more  than  ;  as,  "  above 
a  mile,"  "above  a  thousand";  also  inelegantly  used  for 
beyond;  as,  "above  his  strength." 

"  The  floor  of  it  was  not  much  above  [more  than]  a 
hundred  feet  across." — Hammond. 

Accept  of.  We  are  not  without  authority  for  the 
locution  accept  of,  nevertheless  the  of  is  unnecessary,  no 
matter  what  sense  the  verb  is  used  in.  We  accept  presents, 
not  accept  of  them. 

Accident.     See  Casualty. 


THE    VERBALIST.  3 

Accord.  "He  [the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury]  was 
shown  through  the  building,  and  the  information  he  de- 
sired was  accorded  him." — Reporters'  English. 

"  The  heroes  prayed,  and  Fallas  from  the  skies 
Accords  their  vow." — Pope. 
The  goddess  of  wisdom,  when  she  granted  the  prayers  of 
her  worshipers,  may  be  said  to  have  accorded ;  not  so,  how- 
ever, when  the  clerks  of  our  Sub-Treasury  answer  the  in- 
quiries of  their  chief. 

Accord  is  sometimes  misused  for  award  thus,  "  The 
Queen's  prize  was  accorded  to  our  townsman,"  etc. 

Accuse.     See  Blame  it  on. 

Acquaintance.     See  Friend. 

Ad.  This  abbreviation  for  the  word  advertisement  is 
*ery  justly  considered  a  gross  vulgarism.  It  is  doubtful 
whether  it  is  ever  permissible. 

Adapt — Dramatize.  In  speaking  and  in  writing  of 
stage  matters  these  words  are  often  misused.  To  adapt  a 
play  is  to  modify  its  construction  with  the  view  of  improv- 
ing its  form  for  representation.  Plays  translated  from  one 
language  into  another  are  usually  more  or  less  adapted — 
i.  e.,  altered  to  suit  the  taste  of  the  public  before  which  the 
translation  is  to  be  represented.  To  dramatize  is  to  change 
the  form  of  a  story  from  the  narrative  to  the  dramatic — i.  e., 
to  make  a  drama  out  of  a  story.  In  the  first  instance  the 
product  of  the  playwright's  labor  is  called  an  adaptation  ; 
in  the  second,  a  dramatization. 

Adjectives.  Adjectives  are  often  properly  used  where 
the  tyro  in  grammar  would  expect  to  find  an  adverb  ;  as, 
"drink  deep"  "this  looks  strange,"  "he  looks  bad"  "he 
stood  erect." 

Adjectives  sometimes  properly  qualify  other  adjectives; 
as,  "  wide  open,"  "  red  hot,"  "pale  blue." 


4  THE    VERBALIST. 

Such  sentences  as  the  following  are  common,  yet  they 
are  all  incorrect :  "  He  was  questioned  relative  [relatively] 
to  the  matter "  ;  "I  should  have  done  it  independent  [inde- 
pendently] of  that  circumstance  "  ;  "previous  [previously] 
to  my  arrival";  "subsequent  [subsequently]  to  the  elec- 
tion." 

Such  comparatives  as  wiser,  better,  larger,  etc.,  and  the 
contrasting  adjectives  different,  other,  etc.,  are  often  so 
placed  as  to  render  the  construction  awkward  ;  as,  "  That 
is  a  much  better  statement  of  the  case  than  yours,"  instead 
of  "  That  statement  of  the  case  is  much  better  than  yours  "  ; 
"  Yours  is  a  larger  plot  of  ground  than  mine,"  instead  of 
"Your  plot  of  ground  is  larger  than  mine"  ;  "This  is  a 
different  course  of  proceeding  from  what  I  expected,"  in- 
stead of  "  This  course  of  proceeding  is  different  from  what 
I  expected"  ;  "I  could  take  no  other  method  of  doing  it 
than  the  one  I  took,"  instead  of  "  I  could  take  no  method 
of  doing  it  other  than  the  one  I  took." 

Administer.  "  Carson  died  from  blows  administered 
by  policeman  Johnson." — New  York  Times.  If  police- 
man Johnson  was  as  barbarous  as  is  this  use  of  the  verb  to 
administer,  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  he  was  hanged.  Gov- 
ernments, oaths,  medicine,  affairs — such  as  the  affairs  of 
the  state — are  administered,  but  not  blows :  they  are 
dealt. 

Adopt.  This  word  is  often  used  instead  of  to  decide 
upon,  and  of  to  take  ;  thus,  "  The  measures  adopted  [by 
Parliament],  as  the  result  of  this  inquiry,  will  be  productive 
of  good."  Better,  "  The  measures  decided  upon,"  etc.  In- 
stead of  "  What  course  shall  you  adopt  to  get  your  pay  ?" 
say  "  What  course  shall  you  take!"  etc.  Adopt  is  properly 
used  in  a  sentence  like  this:  "The  course  (or  measures) 
proposed  by   Mr.   Blank  was  adopted  by  the  committee  "  ; 


THE    VERBALIST 


5 


that  is,  what  was  Blank's  was  adopted  by  the  committee — 
a  correct  use  of  the  word,  as  to  adopt  means  to  assume  as 
one's  own. 

Adopt  is  sometimes  so  misused  that  its  meaning  is  in- 
verted. "  Wanted  to  adopt,"  in  the  heading  of  advertise- 
ments, not  infrequently  is  intended  to  mean  that  the  adver- 
tiser wishes  to  be  relieved  of  the  care  of  a  child,  not  that  he 
wishes  to  assume  the  care  of  one. 

Advent.  Lovers  of  the  strange  and  high-sounding 
sometimes  use  advent  instead  of  the  more  familiar  arrive. 
Here  is  an  example  :  "  He  reflected  that  it  would  probably 
yet  be  several  days  before  he  could  reasonably  expect  the 
advent  of  the  wagon."  How  much  better  to  say  simply, 
"  expect  the  wagon  to  arrive  "  ! 

Advent  should  be  used  of  only  what  is  important, 
stately,  or  sacred. 

Affect.     See  Effect. 

Aggravate.  This  word  is  often  used  when  the  speaker 
means  to  provoke,  irritate,  or  anger.  Thus,  "  It  aggravates 
[provokes]  me  to  be  continually  found  fault  with  "  ;  "  He 
is  easily  aggravated  [irritated]."  To  aggravate  means  to 
add  weight  to,  to  intensify,  to  make  worse,  to  heighten. 
We  therefore  very  properly  speak  of  aggravating  circum- 
stances. To  say  of  a  person  that  he  is  aggravated  is  as 
incorrect  as  to  say  that  he  is  palliated. 

"  Wicked  people  aggravate  [i.  e.,  make  worse]  their 
transgression  by  violence." 

"  Some  speeches  occasionally  aggravated  [provoked] 
him  worse  than  he  could  bear." 

"  Her  movements  are  either  painfully  slow  or  aggra- 
vatingly  [provokingly]  brusque." 

Aggregate.  Sometimes  misused  by  lovers  of  big  words 
in  the  sense  of  amount  to,  thus  : 


6  THE    VERBALIST. 

"  The  purses  offered  at  the  two  meetings  aggregate 
$32,000." — N.  Y.  Times. 

Aggregate  means,  to  form  into  a  collection  or  mass ; 
hence  we  could  say  properly,  The  purses  aggregated,  amount 
to,  $32,000 — i.  e.,  the  purses,  when  put  together,  amount  to 
$32,000.  We  could  also  properly  say,  The  purses  in  the 
aggregate,  amount  to,  $32,000. 

Ago.  Sometimes  misused  for  previously.  Ago  can  not 
be  used  with  a  past  tense. 

"  Nearly  a  week  ago  he  had  started  from  Denver,  well 
mounted,  and  with  a  light  wagon  loaded  with  his  baggage." 
Properly,  "  Nearly  a  week  previously."     See  Since. 

Agree.  Sometimes  misused  in  the  sense  of  admit, 
thus  :  That  a  flat  brick  facade,  pierced  by  a  few  win- 
dows, does  not  make  an  inspiring  [?]  picture,  all  will 
agree. 

Agriculturist.  This  word  is  to  be  preferred  to  agri- 
culturalist.    See  Conversationalist. 

Ain't.  This  can  not  be  called  a  contraction,  and  how- 
ever much  it  may  be  employed  it  will  still  be  only  a  vul- 
garism. I'm  not  is  the  only  possible  contraction  of  I  am 
not,  and  we're  not  of  we  are  not. 

Alike.  This  word  is  often  most  bunglingly  coupled 
with  both.  Thus,  "  These  bonnets  are  both  alike,"  or,  worse 
still,  if  possible,  "both  just  alike."  This  reminds  one  of 
the  story  of  Sam  and  Jem,  who  were  very  like  each  other, 
especially  Sam. 

All.    See  Universal. 

All  of.  This  idiom,  though  popular,  is  not  sanctioned 
by  the  best  usage.  The  of  is  always  a  superfluity.  "  I 
have  them  all,"  not  "  I  have  all  of  them  "  ;  "  Take  it  all" 
not  "Take  <*//<>/  it." 

All  over.     "  The  disease  spread  all  over  the  country." 


THE    VERBALIST,  7 

It  is  more  logical  and  more  emphatic  to  say,  "  The  disease 
spread  over  all  the  country." 

"  Why,  it  is  thought  that  the  disease  will  spread  all  over 
[over  all]  Europe  within  thirty  days  and  then  cross  the 
waters  of  the  Atlantic."— N.  Y.  World. 

Allege.  Sometimes  used  for  say  by  that  class  of  speak- 
ers and  writers  that  have  little  regard  for  the  fitness  of  the 
words  they  employ — that  class  for  whom  bigness  has  more 
charms  than  signification. 

A  dispatch  from  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  of  July  27,  1S84,  to 
the  New  York  Times,  said  : 

"A  storm  yesterday  in  Eau  Claire  County  damaged 
crops  and  buildings  to  the  extent  [amount]  of  $20,000. 
Hailstones  fell  which  [that]  are  alleged  [said]  to  have  been 
[better :  that  were,  it  is  said]  six  and  eight  inches  in 
diameter."  Six  and  eight  are  fourteen — a  hailstone  four- 
teen inches  in  diameter  !  This  Wisconsin  Munchausen  is 
indiscreetly  extravagant.  Hailstones  from  even  six  to  eight 
inches  in  diameter  would  make  too  big  a  story  for  the 
credulity  of  most  persons. 

According  to  Crabb,  the  synonyms  of  allege  are  adduce, 
assign,  and  advance.  "  What  is  adduced  tends  to  corrobo- 
rate or  to  invalidate ;  what  is  alleged  tends  to  criminate  or 
to  exculpate  ;  what  is  assigned  tends  to  justify  or  to  sup- 
port ;  what  is  advanced  tends  to  explain  and  illustrate." 

"  The  criminal  alleged  [i.  e.,  pleaded]  in  his  defense," 
etc. — Addison. 

"  If  it  be  true,  as  Mr.  Mangon  alleges  [says,  or  tells  us], 
that  the  balloon  was  moved  against  the  wind,"  etc. — 
N.  Y.  Sun. 

Allegory.  An  elaborated  metaphor  is  called  an  alle- 
gory ;  both  are  figurative  representations,  the  words  used 
signifying  something  beyond  their  literal  meaning.     Thus, 


8  THE    VERBALIST. 

in  the  eightieth  Psalm,  the  Jews  are  represented  under  the 
symbol  of  a  vine  : 

"  Thou  hast  brought  a  vine  out  of  Egypt :  thou  hast 
cast  out  the  heathen,  and  planted  it.  Thou  preparedst 
room  before  it,  and  didst  cause  it  to  take  deep  root,  and  it 
filled  the  land.  The  hills  were  covered  with  the  shadow 
of  it,  and  the  boughs  thereof  were  like  the  goodly  cedars. 
She  sent  out  her  boughs  unto  the  sea,  and  her  branches 
unto  the  river.  Why  hast  thou  then  broken  down  her 
hedges,  so  that  all  they  that  pass  by  the  way  do  pluck  her  ? 
The  boar  out  of  the  wood  doth  waste  it,  and  the  wild 
beast  of  the  field  doth  devour  it." 

An  allegory  is  sometimes  so  extended  that  it  makes  a 
volume  ;  as  in  the  case  of  Swift's  Tale  of  a  Tub,  Arbuth- 
not's  John  Bull,  Bunyan's  Pilgrim's  Progress,  etc.  Fables 
and  parables  are  short  allegories. 

Allow.  This  word  is  frequently  misused  in  the  West 
and  South,  where  it  is  made  to  do  service  for  think ;  to  be 
of  opinion  ;  to  admit.     Thus  : 

"  He  allows  [thinks]  that  he  has  the  finest  horse  in  the 
country." 

"  When  the  editor  saw  it  he  allowed  [admitted]  that  it 
wasn't  so  very  much  of  an  error  after  all." 

"  Arthur  soon  allowed  [admitted]  to  Tom  that  he  was  a 
thorough  little  gentleman,  and  would  get  over  his  shyness 
all  in  good  time." 

"  I  allow  [admit]  you've  provocation  for  it." 

All  the  same.  This  locution,  used  in  the  sense  of 
nevertheless,  is  said  to  be  a  Scotticism.  It  has  in  the  in- 
elegant French  locution  tout  de  mime  an  exact  counterpart. 

Allude.  The  treatment  this  word  has  received  is  to  be 
specially  regretted,  as  its  misuse  has  wellnigh  robbed  it  of 
its  true  meaning,  which  is,  to  intimate  delicately,  to  refer 


THE    VERBALIST.  g 

to  without  mentioning  directly.  Allude  is  now  very  rarely 
used  in  any  other  sense  than  that  of  to  speak  of,  to  men- 
tion, to  name,  which  is  a  long  way  from  being  its  legiti- 
mate signification.  This  degradation  is  doubtless  a  direct 
outcome  of  untutored  desire  to  be  fine. 

Allude  is  less  direct  than  refer,  and  more  direct  than 
hint  or  suggest.  One  alludes  to  an  event  by  introducing 
something  allied  to  it ;  one  refers  to  an  event  by  intro- 
ducing it  directly  into  one's  discourse. 

Almost — Nearly.  These  two  adverbs  should  not  be 
used  indiscriminately.  The  idea  contained  in  almost  is 
nearness  to  completion  ;  the  idea  contained  in  nearly  is 
nearness  to  supervention.  Almost  regards  the  ending  of 
an  act ;  nearly,  to  the  beginning.  A  man  that  receives  an 
injury  so  severe  that  he  comes  off  with  barely  his  life  is 
almost  killed  ;  a  man  that  escapes  what  would  have  killed 
him  is  nearly  killed.     Examples  : 

"  I  am  almost  dead  with  fatigue." 

"The  night  was  very  dark,  and  I  had  nearly  driven 
over  him  before  I  saw  him." 

"  I  have  almost  finished  writing  my  letters." 

"  The  two  rivals  nearly  met  each  other  ;  for  the  one 
had  only  just  left  me  when  the  other  arrived." 

Alone.  This  word  is  often  improperly  used  for  only. 
That  is  alone  that  is  unaccompanied ;  that  is  only  of 
which  there  is  no  other.  "  Virtue  alone  makes  us  happy," 
means  that  virtue  unaided  suffices  to  make  us  happy  ; 
"Virtue  only  makes  us  happy,"  means  that  nothing  else 
can  do  it — that  that,  and  that  only  (not  alone),  can  do  it. 
"  This  means  of  communication  is  employed  by  man 
alone."  Dr.  Quackenbos  should  have  written,  "By  man 
only." 

Alone  is  always  an  adjective,  and  not,  like  only,  some- 
2 


IO  THE    VERBALIST. 

times  an  adverb.  It  means,  apart  from  others  ;  single  ; 
solitary. 

"  S.  was  editor  of  a  periodical  which  [that]  she  intended 
should  have  contributions  from  her  own  sex  alone  "  [only 
from  her  own  sex]. 

"  Such  characters  exist  even  in  this  plain  tale,  and  it  is 
these  alone  [only],  and  our  kindly  readers,  we  take  leave  of 
with  regret." — Charles  Reade. 

"  They  know  that  every  hope  of  national  temperance 
reform  rests  upon  the  success  of  the  party  which  has  alone 
shown  itself  possessed  of  any  concern  for  moral  and  social 
progress." — N.  Y.  Tribune.  Should  be  "  The  only  party 
that  has  shown,"  etc.     See  also  Only. 

Alternative.  Often  misused  for  course.  An  alternative 
is  a  choice  between  two  courses,  thus  :  "  This  hard  alter- 
native, or  to  renounce  thy  reason,  or  to  believe." 

"  We  were  left  the  choice  of  three  alternatives " 
[courses]. 

"  We  can  not  believe  that  these  are  the  only  alternatives  " 
[courses]. 

"  The  only  possible  alternative  "  [course]. 

"  The  discovery  left  the  court  no  alternative  [course] 
but  to  pronounce  judgment  against  them." 

See  Either  Alternative. 

Always.  Often  used  redundantly,  thus,  "  Whenever 
I  go  to  town  I  always  visit  my  aunt." 

Ameliorate.  "  The  health  of  the  Empress  of  Germany 
is  greatly  ameliorated."     Why  not  say  improved! 

Among.  Sometimes  misused  thus  :  "  He  was  there 
among  the  rest  "  ;  properly,  with  the  rest. 

Among  one  another.  "  They  exchanged  confidence* 
among  one  another "  ;  properly,  with  one  another.  01 
among  themselves. 


THE    VERBALIST.  \\ 

Amount  of  Perfection.  The  observant  reader  of  pe- 
riodical literature  often  notes  forms  of  expression  that  are 
perhaps  best  characterized  by  the  word  bizarre.  Of  these 
queer  locutions,  amount  of  perfection  is  a  very  good  exam- 
ple. Mr.  G.  F.  Watts,  in  the  Nineteenth  Century,  says, 
"  An  amount  of  perfection  has  been  reached  which  I  was 
by  no  means  prepared  for."  What  Mr.  Watts  meant  to 
say  was,  doubtless,  that  a  degree  of  excellence  had  been 
reached.  There  are  not  a  few  that,  in  their  prepossession 
for  everything  transatlantic,  seem  to  be  of  opinion  that  the 
English  language  is  commonly  better  written  in  England 
than  it  is  in  America.  Those  that  think  so  are  counseled 
o  examine  the  diction  of  some  of  the  most  noted  English 
critics  and  essayists,  beginning,  if  they  will,  with  Matthew 
Arnold. 

An.  This  form  of  the  indefinite  article  should  not  be 
used  before  any  aspirated  h.  We  say,  properly,  a  heroic,  a 
harangue,  a  historical,  a  habitual,  and  not  an  'eroic,  an 
'arangue,  an  'istorical,  an  'abitual.  We  should  leave  this 
practice  to  those  Americans  that,  after  the  fashion  of  the 
English,  pronounce  year,  yer,  here,  hyer,  and  been,  bene, 
though  there  is  no  authority  for  saying  anything  but  yere 
and  here,  and  little  authority  for  saying  anything  but  bin. 
As  the  American  has  no  difficulty  in  aspirating  his  h's,  there 
is  no  excuse  for  his  dropping  the  initial  h  in  polysyllabic 
words,  though  the  h  does  not  stand  under  the  accent.  The 
truth  is,  however,  that  most  Americans  that  use  an  before 
these  h's  are  not  aware  that,  when  they  do  so,  the  h  should 
be  dropped  in  the  utterance,  which  to  that  extent  is  to  Cock- 
neyize  the  language. 

And.  Few  vulgarisms  are  more  common  than  the  use 
of  and  for  to.  Examples  :  "  Come  and  see  me  before  you 
go  "  ;  "  Try  and  do  what  you  can  for  him  "  ;  "  Go  and  see 


12  THE    VERBALIST. 

your  brother,  if  you  can."     In  such  sentences  as  these  the 
proper  particle  to  use  is  clearly  to,  and  not  and. 

And  is  sometimes  improperly  used  instead  of  or ;  thus, 
"  It  is  obvious  that  a  language  like  the  Greek  and  Latin  " 
(language  ?),  etc.,  should  be,  "  a  language  like  the  Greek  or 
the  Latin  "  (language),  etc.  There  is  no  such  thing  as  a 
Greek  and  Latin  language. 

And  sometimes  very  improperly  introduces  a  relative 
clause,  no  relative  having  occurred  before,  thus  :  "  I  have  a 
book,  printed  at  Antwerp,  and  which  was  once  Adam 
Smith's."  If  the  proper  relative,  that,  had  been  used,  it  is 
probable  that  the  writer  would  not  have  blundered. 

And  which,  or  and  that.  We  frequently  see  the  rela- 
tive pronoun  repeated  to  the  great  detriment  of  the  sen- 
tence, thus  :  "  Mr.  Reno  owns  a  mule  which  [that]  is  now 
forty-five  years  old,  and  which  has  not  worn  a  collar  for 
twenty-two  years."  The  second  relative  only  encumbers 
the  sentence. 

"  The  second  assertion  imputes  the  evil  to  a  cause  in 
itself  inevitable,  and  which  has  only  incidentally  and  par- 
tially operated  to  produce  it."  Read,  "  a  cause  that  in 
itself  is,"  and  omit  which. 

Here  is  a  sentence  from  the  pen  of  the  most  extraordi- 
nary "  whicher  "  I  have  ever  met  with  : 

"  The  American  Consul  for  Syria  came  down  here  to 
make  further  inquiries  into  an  incident  which  occurred  a 
year  ago  at  Acre,  and  to  which  I  alluded  in  a  letter  at  the 
time,  and  which  gave  rise  to  one  of  those  interminable 
questions  which  occur  so  constantly  between  the  Porte  and 
foreign  governments,  and  which  invariably  end  in  smoke." 
— Corr.  N.  Y.  Sun. 

Only  two  of  these  five  whichcs  are  necessary,  and  it 
would  be  better  to  change  them  to  thats. 


THE    VERBALIST.  13 

"  He  sailed  round  the  island  of  Iturup,  which  is  713 
miles  long  and  80  broad,  and  rohich  is  inhabited  here  and 
there  along  the  coast." — N.  Y.  Sun. 

The  second  which  is  clearly  superfluous. 

Antecedents.  A  convenient  term  for  origin  and  his- 
tory of  a  person.  It  expresses  concisely  what  would  other- 
wise require  a  rather  ponderous  circumlocution. 

Yet  the  locution  past  history,  or  history,  is  much  to  be 
preferred.  "  What  do  you  know  of  his  history  ? "  is  far 
better  English  than  "  What  do  you  know  of  his  anteced- 
ents}" The  one  is  the  language  of  the  drawing-room,  the 
other  of  the  bar-room. 

Anticipate.  Lovers  of  big  words  frequently  make 
this  verb  do  duty  for  expect,  and  sometimes  for  foresee. 
Anticipate  is  derived  from  two  Latin  words  meaning  before 
and  to  take,  and,  when  properly  used,  means,  to  take  before- 
hand ;  to  go  before  so  as  to  preclude  another ;  to  get  the 
start  of  or  to  get  ahead  of  ;  to  enjoy,  possess,  or  suffer,  in 
expectation  ;  to  foretaste.  It  is  therefore  misused  in  such 
sentences  as  "  Her  death  is  hourly  anticipated"  ;  "  By  this 
means  it  is  anticipated  that  the  time  from  Europe  will  be 
lessened  two  days." 

Correctly  used  thus  : 

"  If  not  anticipated,  I  shall  hereafter  make  an  attempt 
at  a  magazine  paper  on  The  Philosophy  of  Point." — Poe. 

"  The  chief  portion  of  Prof.  Espy's  theory  has  been 
anticipated." — roe. 

"  I  am  far  from  pretending  to  instruct  the  profession  or 
anticipating  their  directions  to  such  as  are  under  their 
government." — Arbuthnot. 

"  Why  should  we 
Anticipate  our  sorrows  ?     'Tis  like  those 
Who  die  for  fear  of  death." — Shakespeare. 


14 


THE    VERBALIST. 


"  We  anticipate  what  a  person  is  going  to  say  by  saying 
it  before  him." — Crabb. 

"  But,  after  all,  it  may  simply  anticipate  on  the  English 
of  the  future." — Dr.  Fitzedward  Hall. 

"  The  memorial  sketch  is  a  model  of  propriety.  The 
author  has  carefully  refrained  from  anticipating  the  biogra- 
phy that,  we  trust,  will  shortly  see  the  light." — N.  Y. 
Sun. 

"  In  several  respects  the  Mosaic  Law  is  declared  to  have 
anticipated  modern  science  by  several  thousand  years." — 
Hosmer. 

"  It  is  well  to  have  it  understood  that  our  municipal 
authorities  and  local  sanitary  health  boards  had  antici- 
pated by  practical  work  the  proclamation  issued  by  the 
President."— N.  Y.  Star. 

Misused  in  the  sense  of  expect,  thus  : 

"  The  poetry  of  Mr.  Fawcett,  as  one  might  anticipate 
from  an  acquaintance  with  his  prose,"  etc. — N.  Y.  Tribune. 

"  Trouble  is  anticipated  over  the  proposed  employment 
of  Hungarians  in  the  Hocking  Valley  mines." — N.  Y. 
Herald. 

"  Were  Greely's  movements  those  which  [that]  it  was 
anticipated  he  would  make  ?  " — N.  Y.  Times. 

,  "  Miss  Hurst's  performances  at  Wallack's  Theater  have 
brought  on  the  crisis  which  [that]  we  anticipated." — Even- 
ing Telegram. 

"  The  attempt  to  browbeat  the  peers  into  abjuring  a 
privilege  which  [that]  so  sound  a  Liberal  as  Mr.  Bagehot 
pronounced  expedient  and  wholesome  is  not  having  the 
success  which  [that]  was  at  first  anticipated." — N.  Y.  Sun. 

"  She  is  now  engaged  on  a  series  of  experiments  in 
evolution  from  which  I  anticipate  the  most  striking  and 
original  results." — Hammond. 


THE    VERBALIST. 


15 


"  Do  you  think  that  Germany  keeps  up  its  tremendous 
army  in  anticipation  [expectation]  of  a  speedy  war  ?  " 

"  Young  Lincoln  would  have  been  almost  as  likely  to 
anticipate  [foresee]  the  marvelous  growth  of  the  State,  as  to 
foresee  his  own  still  more  wonderful  elevation." 

Another  point :  In  all  cases  like  this  it  is  far  better  to 
repeat  the  word  than  to  use  a  synonym.  The  repetition 
always  tends  to  strengthen  and  to  balance  the  sentence. 

Antiquary — Antiquarian.  Both  these  words  are  used 
as  nouns  by  writers  of  repute  ;  but  antiquarian,  Todd, 
Hodgson,  and  some  other  grammarians  insist,  should  be 
used  only  as  an  adjective. 

Antithesis.  A  phrase  that  opposes  contraries  is  called 
an  antithesis. 

"  I  see  a  chief  who  leads  my  chosen  sons, 
All  armed  with  points,  antitheses,  and  puns." 
The  following  are  examples  : 
"  Though  gentle,  yet  not  dull  ; 

Strong,  without  rage  ;  without  o'erflowing,  full." 
"  Contrasted  faults  through  all  their  manners  reign ; 
Though  poor,  luxurious  ;  though  submissive,  vain  ; 
Though  grave,  yet  trifling  ;  zealous,  yet  untrue  ; 
And  e'en  in  penance  planning  sins  anew." 
The  following  is  an  excellent  example  of  personification 
and  antithesis  combined  : 

"  Talent  convinces  ;  genius  but  excites  ; 
That  tasks  the  reason  ;  this  the  soul  delights. 
Talent  from  sober  judgment  takes  its  birth, 
And  reconciles  the  pinion  to  the  earth  ; 
Genius  unsettles  with  desires  the  mind, 
Contented  not  till  earth  be  left  behind." 
In  the  following  extract  from  Johnson's  Life  of  Pope,  in» 
dividual  peculiarities  are  contrasted  by  means  of  antitheses  : 


1 6  THE    VERBALIST. 

"  Of  genius — that  power  which  constitutes  a  poet  ;  that 
quality  without  which  judgment  is  cold  and  knowledge  is 
inert  ;  that  energy  which  collects,  combines,  amplifies,  and 
animates — the  superiority  must,  with  some  hesitation,  be 
allowed  to  Dryden.  It  is  not  to  be  inferred  that  of  this 
poetical  vigor  Pope  had  only  a  little,  because  Dryden  had 
more  ;  for  every  other  writer  since  Milton  must  give  place 
to  Pope  ;  and  even  of  Dryden  it  must  be  said  that,  if  he 
has  brighter  paragraphs,  he  has  not  better  poems.  Dryden's 
performances  were  always  hasty,  either  excited  by  some 
external  occasion  or  extorted  by  domestic  necessity  ;  he 
composed  without  consideration  and  published  without 
correction.  What  his  mind  could  supply  at  call  or  gather 
in  one  excursion  was  all  that  he  sought  and  all  that  he 
gave.  The  dilatory  caution  of  Pope  enabled  him  to  con- 
dense his  sentiments,  to  multiply  his  images,  and  to  ac- 
cumulate all  that  study  might  produce  or  chance  might 
supply.  If  the  flights  of  Dryden,  therefore,  are  higher, 
Pope  continues  longer  on  the  wing.  If  of  Dryden's  fire 
the  blaze  is  brighter,  of  Pope's  the  heat  is  more  regular 
and  constant.  Dryden  often  surpasses  expectation,  and 
Pope  never  falls  below  it.  Dryden  is  read  with  frequent 
astonishment,  and  Pope  with  perpetual  delight.  Dryden's 
page  is  a  natural  field,  rising  into  inequalities  and  diversi- 
fied by  the  varied  exuberance  of  abundant  vegetation  ; 
Pope's  is  a  velvet  lawn,  shaven  by  the  scythe  and  leveled 
by  the  roller." 

There  are  forms  of  antithesis  in  which  the  contrast  is 
only  of  a  secondary  kind. 

Anxiety  of  Mind.     See  Equanimity  of  Mind. 

Anxious.  This  word  is  very  often  used  when  desirous 
would  better  express  the  meaning  intended. 

Anxious  means  full  of  anxiety  ;  suffering  from  suspense 


THE    VERBALIST. 


17 


or  uncertainty  ;  concerned  about  the  future  ;  solicitous ; 
unquiet ;  uneasy — which  is  wide  of  the  meaning  intended 
in  the  following  sentences  : 

"  Not  anxious  to  get  to  Canada." 

"  Mr.  S.  is  not  willing  to  accept  [assume]  the  respon- 
sibility of  backing  the  first  production,  which  is  the  reason 
that  Mr.  O.  is  anxious  to  bring  out  the  play  in  California." 

"  A  writer  in  Macmillan's  Magazine,  anxious  to  pre- 
serve the  well  of  English  undefiled,  calls  attention,"  etc. 

"  Mr.  Farnan  assumes  to  be  anxious  to  meet  Mr.  Sul- 
livan." 

"  But  I  am  still  more  anxious  that  you  should  not  mis- 
judge my  father." 

"  He  is  very  intelligent,  very  liberal  in  his  views,  very 
anxious  to  do  something  for  humanity." 

"  I  recollect  that  you  were  anxious  to  hang  him  to  the 
nearest  tree." 

"  Your  father  is  anxious  to  have  you  live  in  New 
York." 

"  Tyscovus  was  anxious  to  be  married  at  once." 

In  all  these  sentences  the  meaning  intended  was  far 
from  being  that  of  the  word  anxious  ;  it  was  that  of  the 
word  desirous. 

Here  are  some  examples  of  the  proper  use  of  anxious  : 

"  The  office  of  the  Monarch  Line  of  steamships  had 
many  callers  yesterday.  They  had  friends  or  relatives  on 
board  the  Lydian  Monarch,  and  were  anxious  in  regard  to 
their  fate." 

"  Then  he  was  trying  his  'prentice  hand,  and  was  more 
anxious  about  the  treatment  than  about  the  matter." — 
Julian  Hawthorne. 

"  Naturally  she  was  anxious  about  the  appearance  he 
made  in  what  is  called  '  society.'  " — Badeau. 


1 8  THE    VERBALIST. 

Any.  This  word  is  sometimes  made  to  do  service  for 
at  all.  We  say  properly,  "  She  is  not  any  better  "  ;  but 
we  can  not  properly  say,  "  She  does  not  see  any,"  meaning 
that  she  is  blind. 

Anybody  elss.  "  Public-school  teachers  are  in- 
formed that  anybody  else's  is  correct." — N.  Y.  Times.  An 
English  writer  says  :  "  In  such  phrases  as  anybody  else,  and 
the  like,  else  is  often  put  in  the  possessive  case,  as,  '  any- 
body else's  servant '  ;  and  some  grammarians  defend  this 
use  of  the  possessive  case,  arguing  that  somebody  else  is  a 
compound  noun."  It  is  better  grammar  and  more  euphoni- 
ous to  consider  else  as  being  an  adjective,  and  to  form  the 
possessive  by  adding  the  apostrophe  and  s  to  the  word  that 
else  qualifies  ;  thus,  anybody's  else,  nobody's  else,  some- 
body's else. 

"  The  expressions  some  one  else,  any  one  else,  every  one  else, 
somebody  else,  etc.,  are  in  good  u:age  treated  as  substantive 
phrases  and  have  the  possessive  inflection  upon  the  else : 
as,  '  somebody  else's  umbrella '  ;  but  some  prefer  to  treat 
them  simply  as  elliptical  expressions  ;  as  '  the  umbrella  is 
somebody's  else'  (i.  e.,  other  than  the  person  previously 
mentioned). " — Standard  Dictionary. 

Anyhow.  "  An  exceedingly  vulgar  phrase,"  says  Pro- 
fessor Mathews,  in  his  Words :  Their  Use  and  Abuse. 
"  Its  use  in  any  manner,  by  one  who  professes  to  write 
and  speak  the  English  tongue  with  purity,  is  unpardonable." 
Professor  Mathews  seems  to  have  a  special  dislike  for  this 
colloquialism.  It  is  recognized  by  the  lexicographers,  and 
I  think  is  generally  accounted,  even  by  the  careful,  per- 
missible in  conversation,  though  incompatible  with  digni- 
fied diction,  in  which  such  phrases  as  "  in  any  event,"  "be 
that  as  it  may,"  "  at  any  rate,"  and  the  like,  are  to  be  pre- 
ferred. 


THE    VERBALIST  19 

Aphorism.  A  principle  or  precept,  either  in  science 
or  in  morals,  that  is  presented  to  the  understanding  in  a 
a  few  words,  is  called  an  aphorism. 

"  Strain  the  phraseology  and  you  weaken  the  effect." 
"When  the  words  outnumber  the   thoughts,  some  of 
them  are  only  in  the  way." 

"  He  that  writes  thoroughly  well  never  uses  more  words 
or  bigger  words  than  are  really  necessary." 

"  Intemperance  in  the  use  of  language  is  as  much  to  be 
censured  as  intemperance  in  anything  else  ;  like  intemper- 
ance in  other  things,  its  effect  is  vulgarizing." 

Apostrophe.  Turning  from  the  person  or  persons  to 
whom  a  discourse  is  addressed  and  appealing  to  some 
person  or  thing  absent,  constitutes  what,  in  rhetoric,  is 
called  the  apostrophe.     The  following  are  some  examples  : 

"  O  gentle  sleep, 
Nature's  soft  nurse,  how  have  I  frighted  thee, 
That  thou  no  more  wilt  weigh  my  eyelids  down, 
And  steep  my  senses  in  forgetfulness  ?  " 
"  Sail  on,  thou  lone  imperial  bird 
Of  quenchless  eye  and  tireless  wing  !" 

"  Help,  angels,  make  assay  ! 
Bow,  stubborn  knees  !  and  heart  with  strings  of  steel, 
Be  soft  as  sinews  of  the  new-born  babe  : 
All  may  yet  be  well ! " 
Appear.     See  Seem. 

Appreciate.  If  any  word  in  the  language  has  cause 
to  complain  of  ill-treatment,  this  one  has.  Appreciate 
means,  to  estimate  justly — to  set  the  true  value  on  men 
or  things,  their  worth,  beauty,  or  advantages  of  any  sort 
whatsoever.  Thus,  an  overestimate  is  no  more  appre- 
ciation than  is  an  underestimate.  A  man  is  appreciated 
when  his  good  and  his  bad  qualities  are  justly  considered 


20  THE    VERBALIST. 

in  our  estimate  of  him.  "  I  appreciate  him  highly  " — an 
expression  we  often  hear — is  nonsense.  "  I  have  great 
regard  for  him,"  or,  "I  think  a  great  deal  of  him,"  or,  "  I 
hold  him  in  high  esteem,"  is  what  we  should  say. 

We  value,  or  prize,  things  highly,  not  appreciate  them 
highly.  This  word  is  also  very  improperly  made  to  do 
service  for  rise  or  increase  in  value  ;  thus,  "  Land  appre- 
ciates rapidly  in  the  West." 

Dr.  L.  T.  Townsend  misuses  appreciate  in  his  Art  of 
Speech,  vol.  i,  p.  142,  thus :  "  The  laws  of  harmony  .  .  . 
may  allow  copiousness  ...  in  parts  of  a  discourse  ...  in 
order  that  the  condensation  of  other  parts  may  be  the  more 
highly  appreciated."  If  the  doctor  had  written  more  thor- 
oughly appreciated 'he  would  have  "  passed  muster." 

Here  is  a  very  extraordinary  use  of  the  word  by  Mr. 
Chauncey  Depew  :  "  He  appreciated  that  his  countrymen 
had  a  claim  on  his  memory." 

Apprehend — Comprehend.  The  English  often  use 
the  first  of  these  two  words  where  we  use  the  second. 
Both  express  an  effort  of  the  thinking  faculty  ;  but  to  ap- 
prehend is  simply  to  take  an  idea  into  the  mind — it  is  the 
mind's  first  effort — while  to  comprehend  is  fully  to  under- 
stand. We  are  dull  or  quick  of  apprehension.  Children 
apprehend  much  that  they  do  not  comprehend.  Trench 
says,  "  We  apprehend  many  truths  which  [that]  we  do  not 
comprehend."  "Apprehend,"  says  Crabb,  "expresses  the 
weakest  kind  of  belief,  the  having  [of]  the  least  idea  of 
the  presence  of  a  thing." 

"  There  is  a  distinction  between  the  faculties  of  com- 
prehension and  apprehension.  If  I  take  the  distance  of  a 
fixed  star,  it  is  beyond  my  mind  to  grasp  the  enormous 
distance.  If  I  calculate  that  distance,  at  every  step  I  know 
I  am  right.     So  we  are  able  to  support  and  sustain  a  truth, 


THE    VERBALIST.  21 

and  yet  we  can  not  entirely  grasp  and  master  it.  It  is  in 
this  manner  that  we  apprehend  the  infinite." — Monsignor 
Capel. 

Approach.  Sometimes  very  improperly  used  in  the 
sense  of  address,  petition,  memorialize,  appeal  to  ;  thus,  "  The 
teachers  have  approached  the  Educational  Department  in 
some  matters  that  concern  their  interest." 

Approach  is  frequently  used  in  a  sense  that  implies 
bribery,  when  the  approaching  is  supposed  to  be  done 
covertly,  by  insinuation  or  cautious  intimation. 

Apt.  Often  misused  for  likely,  and  sometimes  for 
liable.  "What  is  he  apt  to  be  doing?"  "Where  shall  I 
be  apt  to  find  him  ?  "  "  If  properly  directed,  it  will  be  apt 
to  reach  me."  In  such  sentences  as  these  likely  is  the 
proper  word  to  use.  "  If  you  go  there  you  will  be  apt  to 
get  into  trouble."  Here  either  likely  or  liable  is  the 
proper  word,  according  to  the  thought  the  speaker  would 
convey. 

Arctics.     See  Rubbers. 

Aren't.  A  contraction  of  are  not,  frequently  heard, 
yet  never  to  be  preferred  to  are  you  not  or  are  they  not. 
Unlike  "  we're,"  "  you're,'  "  I'm,"  "  I'll,"  "  they'll,"  "  he'll," 
etc.,  which  are  all  contractions  of  the  verb  only,  aren't  can 
hardly  be  considered  good  colloquial  usage. 

Artist.  Of  late  years  this  word  has  been  appropriated 
by  the  members  of  so  many  crafts  that  it  has  wellnigh 
been  despoiled  of  its  meaning.  Your  cook,  your  barber, 
your  tailor,  your  bootmaker,  and  so  on  to  satiety,  are  all 
artists.  Painters,  sculptors,  architects,  actors,  and  singers, 
nowadays,  generally  prefer  being  thus  called,  rather  than 
to  be  spoken  of  as  artists. 

As.  In  an  affirmative  proposition,  as  corresponds  to 
as  :  "  This  is  as  good  as  that." 


22  THE    VERBALIST. 

In  a  negative  proposition,  so  corresponds  to  as  :  "This 
is  not  so  good  as  that."  Many  writers  are  not  careful  to 
make  this  distinction. 

As  is  sometimes  very  improperly  used  instead  of  that ; 
"  Not  as  [that]  I  know."  "  I  don't  know  as  [that]  they 
have  either  as  a  matter  of  law  or  of  necessity." 

As,  preceded  by  such  or  by  same,  has  the  force  of  a 
relative  applying  to  persons  or  to  things.  "  He  offered 
me  the  same  conditions  as  he  offered  you."  "  The  same 
conditions  that "  would  be  equally  proper.  See  also 
Like. 

Ascribe.     See  Impute. 

Aside.     Sometimes  misused  for  apart. 

"  Words  have  a  potency  of  association  aside  from 
their  significance  as  representative  signs." — Dr.  William 
Mathews. 

"Aside"  says  Prof.  J.  S.  Blackwell,  "in  the  sense  of 
separately,  as  a  subject  of  thought,  is  an  Americanism,  and 
is  unknown  and  altogether  unexemplified  in  correct  and 
classical  English.     The  proper  word  is  apart." 

Asperse.  This  word  and  its  synonyms  are  employed 
by  few  persons  in  their  true  sense.  Each  word  denotes  an 
effort  made  in  a  particular  way  to  injure.  To  asperse,  is  to 
speak  slightingly  of  any  one,  and  to  insinuate  that  he  is  less 
worthy  than  he  is  generally  believed  to  be.  To  detract,  is 
to  ascribe  acts  to  unworthy  motives,  or  otherwise  to  seek 
to  lessen  seeming  merit.  There  must  always  be  some  sup- 
posed good  in  the  object  detracted — charity  or  liberality,  for 
example.  To  defame,  is  openly  to  advance  some  serious 
charge  against  a  person  ;  to  censure  maliciously  and  falsely 
in  public.  To  slander,  is  to  circulate  an  evil  report,  being 
heedless  of  its  truth.  To  calumniate,  is  to  fabricate  and 
circulate  anything  to   the    injury   of   another.     Ill    report 


THE    VERBALIST. 


23 


originates  with   the  calumniator  ;  the  slanderer  is  he  that 
disseminates  it. 

As  though  for  as  if.  "  A  most  frequent  and  notable 
error  is  that  of  using  'as  though'  for  'as  if  in  complex 
sentences  of  a  certain  kind.  An  attempt  to  analyze  such  a 
sentence  brings  to  light  the  elliptical  clause  that  the  con- 
struction always  involves,  and  shows  at  once  the  defect. 
For  example  : 

"  '  The  house  looks  as  though  it  had  never  been  painted.' 
'  The  man  moves  as  though  he  were  tired.'  '  He  spoke  as 
though  he  was  offended.' 

"  In  all  these  we  quickly  discover,  on  supplying  the 
ellipsis  between  as  and  though,  that  this  disjunctive  con- 
junction either  makes  nonsense  of  the  several  statements 
or  gives  a  different  meaning  from  that  intended. 

"  '  The  house  looks  as  it  would  look  though  it  had  never 
been  painted.'  '  The  man  moves  as  he  would  move  though 
he  were  tired.'  '  He  spoke  as  he  would  speak  though  he 
was  offended.' 

"Substitute  if  for  though,  and  the  meaning  in  every 
case  is  at  once  clear.  As  if  is  always  to  be  preferred  to  as 
though.  The  very  nature  of  such  statements  declares  their 
need  of  a  copulative  in  the  connecting  word  ;  the  disjunctive 
is  always  an  enemy  to  their  meaning." — Anne  Balderston. 

At.  "  They  do  things  differently  in  [not  at]  the  South." 
He  is  not  at  [not  to]  home. 

At  all.  "  It  is  not  strange,  for  my  uncle  is  King  of 
Denmark."  Had  Shakespeare  written,  "  It  is  not  at  all 
strange,"  it  is  clear  that  his  diction  would  have  been  much 
less  forcible.  "  I  do  not  wish  for  any  at  all "  ;  "I  saw  no 
one  at  all"  ;  "  If  he  had  any  desire  at  all  to  see  me,  he 
would  come  where  I  am." 

The  at  all  in  sentences  like  these  is  superfluous.     Yet 


24 


THE    VERBALIST. 


there  are  instances  in  which  the  phrase  is  certainly  a  very 
convenient  one,  and  seems  to  be  unobjectionable.  It  is 
much  used,  and  by  good  writers. 

At  auction.  This  expression  is  an  Americanism  ;  in 
England  it  is  unknown.  Johnson  says  the  verb  auction 
means,  "  to  sell  by  auction  " — i.  e.,  by  offering  to  the  high- 
est bidder. 

Several  prominent  auctioneers  in  New  York  habitually 
announce  the  sale  of  pictures,  statuary,  and  books  "  by 
auction." 

At  private  sale  is  also  peculiar  to  American  English. 

The  good-will  and  furniture  of  the  house  were  disposed 
of  by  [not  at]  private  sale. — N.  Y.  Times. 

The  elephant  Emperor  has  been  sold  by  auction  in 
England  for  $500. — N.  Y.  Sun. 

But  we  may  buy  at  an  auction  and  at  a  private  sale, 
and  things  may  be  sold  at  an  auction  and  at  a  private 
sale. 

At  best.  Instead  of  at  best  and  at  worst,  we  should 
say  at  the  best  and  at  the  worst.  If  we  consider  the  adjec- 
tives as  being  used  substantively,  we  see  at  a  glance  that 
the  article  is  necessary  ;  or,  if  we  consider  them  as  being 
used  adjectively  and  supply  the  ellipsis — the  noun  we  sup- 
pose them  to  qualify — we  still  see  that  the  article  is  neces- 
sary. We  always  say,  "  I  did  the  best  I  could,"  "  You  saw 
him  at  his  best,"  "  Let  them  do  their  worst,"  "  I  will  do 
my  best,"  etc. 

At  last.     See  At  length. 

At  least.  This  adverbial  phrase  is  often  misplaced. 
"  '  The  Romans  understood  liberty  at  least  as  well  as  we.' 
This  must  be  interpreted  to  mean,  '  The  Romans  under- 
stood liberty  as  well  as  we  understand  liberty.'  The  in- 
tended meaning  is, '  that  whatever  things  the  Romans  failed 


THE    VERBALIST.  25 

to  understand,  they  understood  liberty.'  To  express  this 
meaning  we  might  put  it  thus  :  '  The  Romans  understood 
at  least  liberty  as  well  as  we  do '  ;  '  liberty,  at  least,  the 
Romans  understood  as  well  as  we  do.'  '  A  tear,  at  least,  is 
due  to  the  unhappy ' ;  '  at  least  a  tear  is  due  to  the  un- 
happy ' ;  '  a  tear  is  due  at  least  to  the  unhappy '  ;  '  a  tear  is 
due  to  the  unhappy  at  least' — all  express  different  mean- 
ings. '  This  can  not,  often  at  least,  be  done '  ;  '  this  can  not 
be  done  often,  at  least.'  (1.  'It  often  happens  that  this  can 
not  be  done.'  2.  '  It  does  not  often  happen  that  this  can 
be  done.')  So,  '  man  is  always  capable  of  laughing  '  ;  '  man 
is  capable  of  laughing  always.'  " — Bain. 

Audience.  Often  improperly  used.  An  auditor  is  a 
person  that  listens  ;  a  spectator  is  one  that  looks.  An 
auditorium  is  a  place  where  people  assemble  to  hear,  to 
listen  to  something  ;  a  spectatorium  is  a  place  where  people 
assemble  to  see,  to  look  at  something.  Those  that  assem- 
ble in  an  auditorium  are  auditors,  and  constitute  collect, 
ively  an  audience  ;  those  that  assemble  in  a  spectatorium 
are  spectators.  An  audience,  then,  is  an  assemblage  of 
hearers,  not  of  spectators ;  yet  we  hear  of  the  audience 
having  been  large  at  a  prize  fight,  at  a  game  of  ball,  at  a 
boat  race,  and  so  on. 

Authoress.  With  regard  to  the  use  of  this  and  certain 
other  words  of  like  formation,  Mr.  Gould,  in  his  "Good 
English,"  says:  "Poet  means  simply  a  person  who  writes 
poetry,  and  author,  in  the  sense  under  consideration,  a 
person  who  writes  poetry  or  prose — not  a  man  who  writes, 
but  a.  person  who  writes.  Nothing  in  either  word  indicates 
sex  ;  and  everybody  knows  that  the  functions  of  both  poets 
and  authors  are  common  to  both  sexes.  Hence,  authoress 
and  poetess  are  superfluous,  And  they  are  superfluous,  also, 
in  another  respect — that  they  are  very  rarely  used,  indeed 
3 


26  THE    VERBALIST. 

they  hardly  can  be  used,  independently  of  the  name  of  the 
writer,  as  Mrs.,  or  Miss,  or  a  female  Christian  name.  They 
are,  besides,  philological  absurdities,  because  they  are  fabri- 
cated on  the  false  assumption  that  their  primaries  indicate 
men.  They  are,  moreover,  liable  to  the  charge  of  affecta- 
tion and  prettiness,  to  say  nothing  of  pedantic  pretension 
to  accuracy. 

"  If  the  ess  is  to  be  permitted,  there  is  no  reason  for  ex- 
cluding it  from  any  noun  that  indicates  a  person  ;  and  the 
next  editions  of  our  dictionaries  may  be  made  complete  by 
the  addition  of  writress,  officeress,  manageress,  superintend- 
entess,  secretaryess,  treasureress,  ivalkeress,  talkeress,  and  so 
on  to  the  end  of  the  vocabulary." 

On  the  other  hand,  there  are  those  that  think  the  use 
of  authoress  should  be  left  to  individual  tastes.  It  can  not 
be  denied,  however,  that  we  could  get  on  quite  as  well 
without  it. 

Avenge — Revenge.  We  avenge  wrong  done  to  others, 
and  revenge  wrong  done  to  ourselves. 

"  With  tears  in  her  eyes  she  related  the  insult  she  had 
received,  and  entreated  me  to  avenge  her." 

"  Come,  Antony,  and  young  Octavius,  come, 
Revenge  yourselves  alone  on  Cassius." 

"  The  just  avenger  of  his  injured  ancestors." 

Avocation.  Often  misused  for  vocation.  Our  avoca- 
tions are  the  things  we  do  for  the  love  of  doing  them  ;  our 
vocations  are  the  things  we  do  for  gain. 

"  Every  man  should  have  two  things  :  a  vocation  and  an 
avocation.  The  number  of  Americans  who  [that]  find  their 
avocation  in  book-collecting  has  greatly  increased  within 
the  last  few  years." 

"  Let  your  authorship  be  a  pastime,  not  a  trade  ;  let  it 
be  your  avocation,  not  your  vocation." 


THE    VERBALIST. 


27 


"The  tracing  of  resemblances  among  the  objects  and 
events  of  the  world  is  a  constant  avocation  of  the  human 
mind."     See  Vocation. 

Avoid.  We  often  see  this  word,  which  means  to 
shun,  to  keep  away  from,  misused  in  the  sense  of  prevent 
or  hinder,  thus  : 

"  There  shall  be  no  cause  of  complaint  if  I  can  avoid 
it." 

Awful.  Persons  with  only  a  limited  vocabulary  at 
their  command  frequently  use  this  word  when  some  other 
word  of  a  less  repulsive  mien  would  be  chosen  by  persons 
of  better  taste  and  more  culture. 

A  while  since.  An  expression  often  heard  but  not 
correct.     We  should  say,  "  A  while  ago."     See  Since. 

Bad  cold.  Inasmuch  as  colds  are  never  good,  why  say 
a  bad  cold  ?  We  may  talk  about  slight  colds  and  severe 
colds,  but  not  about  bad  colds. 

Badly.  Sometimes  inelegantly  used  for  very  much  ; 
thus,  "  I  shall  miss  you  badly,"  "  I  have  wanted  to  see  you 
badly." 

Baggage.     See  Luggage. 

Balance.  This  word  is  frequently  and  very  erroneously 
used  in  the  sense  of  rest,  remainder.  It  properly  means 
the  excess  of  one  thing  over  another,  and  in  this  sense,  and 
in  no  other,  should  it  be  used.  Hence  it  is  improper  to 
talk  about  the  balance  of  the  edition,  of  the  evening,  of  the 
money,  of  the  toasts,  of  the  men,  etc.  In  such  cases  the 
proper  word  to  use  is  rest  or  remainder.  Balance  is  prop- 
erly used  in  speaking  of  accounts — the  difference  between 
the  debits  and  the  credits. 

"  It  sold  to  them  by  the  square  foot  land  which  [that]  it 
had  bought  at  acre  prices,  generally  [usually]  taking  one 
third  in  cash  and  part  of  the  miner's  pay  every  month  until 


28  THE    VERBALIST. 

the  balance  [remainder]  was  wiped  out   [paid]." — N.   Y. 
Sun. 

Banister.  By  common  consent,  a  corruption  of  the 
word  balustrade,  the  name  in  architecture  of  a  railing 
formed  of  a  range  of  balusters  supporting  a  hand  rail  or 
coping. 

Barbarism.  Defined  as  an  offense  against  good  usage, 
by  the  use  of  an  improper  word — i.  e.,  a  word  that  is  anti- 
quated or  improperly  formed.  Preventative,  enthuse,  agri- 
culturalist, donate,  etc.,  are  barbarisms.    See  also  Solecism. 

Barn.  A  good  old  verb  that  seems  to  have  fallen  into 
comparative  disuse. 

"On  Thursday  afternoon  last,  under  a  flattering  sun, 
he  started  for  the  sixth  time  to  barn  the  hay." — Corr.  N.  Y. 
Sun. 

Beastly.  A  colloquialism  much  used  by  the  English  ; 
as,  "What  beastly  weather!"  "I'm  beastly  tired,"  "She's 
beastly  ugly,"  etc.  This  use  of  the  word,  coarse  as  it  is, 
is  often  affected  by  persons  of  culture.  It  is  never  defen- 
sible save  in  the  phrase  "  beastly  drunk." 

Beau.  A  word  used  by  the  uneducated  instead  of  to 
escort. — De  Vere. 

Been  to.  We  not  infrequently  hear  a  superfluous  to 
tacked  to  a  sentence  ;  thus,  "Where  have  you  been  to?" 

Before.  Sometimes  absurdly  used  in  the  sense  of 
rather  than. 

"Death  before  madness." — N.  Y.  Times. 

This  is  like  the  man  that  died  and  made  a  will. 

Beg.  We  often  see  letters  begin  with  the  words,  "  I 
beg  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your  favor,"  etc.  We 
should  write,  "  I  beg  leave  to  acknowledge,"  etc.  No  one 
would  say,  "  I  beg  to  tell  you,"  instead  of,  "  I  beg  leave  to 
tell  you." 


THE    VERBALIST.  2g 

Begin — Commence.  These  words  have  the  same 
meaning  ;  careful  speakers,  however,  ordinarily  prefer  to 
use  the  former.  Indeed,  there  is  rarely  any  good  reason 
for  giving  the  preference  to  the  latter.  See  also  Com- 
mence. 

Being.     See  Is  being. 

Being  built.     See  Is  being. 

Belong.  We  frequently  hear  such  expressions  as,  "  We 
all  belong"  "  Do  you  belong"  and  the  like,  meaning,  belong 
to  an  association  of  some  sort.  The  only  authority  for  this 
locution  is  vulgar  usage. 

Belongings.  An  old  idiomatic  expression  now  coming 
into  use  again. 

Beside — Besides.  In  the  later  unabridged  editions 
of  Webster's  Dictionary  we  find  the  following  remarks  con- 
cerning the  use  of  these  two  words  :  "Beside  and  besides, 
whether  used  as  prepositions  or  [as]  adverbs,  have  been  con- 
sidered synonymous  from  an  early  period  of  our  literature, 
and  have  been  freely  interchanged  by  our  best  writers. 
There  is,  however,  a  tendency  in  present  usage  to  make 
the  following  distinction  between  them  :  I.  That  beside  be 
used  only  and  always  as  a  preposition,  with  the  original 
meaning  by  the  side  of;  as,  to  sit  beside  a  fountain  ;  or 
with  the  closely  allied  meaning  aside  from,  or  out  of ;  as, 
this  is  beside  our  present  purpose  :  '  Paul,  thou  art  beside 
thyself.'  The  adverbial  sense  to  be  wholly  transferred  to 
the  cognate  word.  2.  That  besides,  as  a  preposition,  take 
the  remaining  sense,  in  addition  to  ;  as,  besides  all  this  ; 
besides  the  consideration  here  offered  :  '  There  was  a  famine 
in  the  land  besides  the  first  famine.'  And  that  it  also  take 
the  adverbial  sense  of  moreover,  beyond,  etc.,  which  had 
been  divided  between  the  words  ;  as,  besides,  there  are, 
other  considerations  which  [that]  belong  to  this  case," 


30  THE    VERBALIST. 

Best.     Sec  At  best. 

Be  that  as  it  will.     Properly,  Be  that  as  it  may. 

Between.  This  word  is  often  misused  for  among ; 
thus,  "  The  word  fellow,  however  much  in  use  it  may 
be  between  men,  sounds  very  objectionable  from  the  lips 
of  women." — London  Queen.  Should  be,  "  among  men." 
Between  is  used  in  reference  to  two  things,  parties,  or  per- 
sons ;  among,  in  reference  to  a  greater  number.  "  Castor 
and  Pollux  with  one  soul  between  them."  "You  have 
among  you  many  a  purchased  slave." 

When  used  to  express  contrast,  the  word  may  be  cor- 
rectly used  in  speaking  of  more  than  two  ;  as,  "  True,  the 
three  boys  are  brothers,  but  there  is  a  great  difference 
between  them." 

Better.  Often  incorrectly  used  instead  of  more  than  ; 
as,  "  It  is  better  than  a  year  since  I  saw  him." 

Black — Blacken.  Each  of  these  two  verbs  means,  to 
make  black,  yet  they  should  not  be  used  indiscriminately. 
Shoes  and  eyes  are  blacked,  and  reputations  are  blackened. 

"  He  saw  a  calm,  composed,  dignified  man,  .  .  .  his  boots 
well  blackened  [blacked],  his  hands  properly  gloved,"  etc. 

Nothing  is  more  despicable  than  a  desire  to  blacken  the 
reputation  of  others. 

Blame  it  on.  Here  is  a  gross  vulgarism  that  we  some- 
times hear  from  persons  of  considerable  culture.  They  use 
it  in  the  sense  of  accuse  or  suspect ;  thus,  "  He  blames  it  on 
his  brother,"  meaning  that  he  accuses  or  suspects  his  brother 
of  having  done  it,  or  of  being  at  fault  for  it. 

Bogus.  A  colloquial  term  incompatible  with  dignified 
diction. 

Both.  We  sometimes  hear  such  absurd  sentences  as, 
"  They  both  resemble  each  other  very  much  "  ;  "  They  are 
both  alike  "  ;  "  They  both  met  in  the  street."     Both  is  like- 


THE    VERBALIST. 


31 


wise  redundant  in  the  following  sentence  :  "  It  performs  at 
the  same  time  the  offices  of  both  the  nominative  and  the 
objective  case."  Also  redundant  in  such  a  sentence  as, 
"  He  lost  all  his  live  stock — both  horses,  cows,  and  sheep." 

Both  is  sometimes  so  used  in  negative  sentences  that 
the  meaning  is  doubtful.  "Both  candidates  were  not  ap- 
pointed." Were  both  rejected?  or  was  one  rejected  and 
the  other  appointed  ?  A  little  care  ordinarily  enables  one 
to  avoid  ambiguity. 

Bound.  The  use  of  this  word  in  the  sense  of  doomed, 
determined,  resolved,  certain,  or  will  be  compelled  is  a  barbar- 
ism. Not,  "  He  is  bound  to  do  it,"  but,  "  He  is  determined, 
resolved,  or  certain  to  do  it."  Not,  "  He  is  bound  to  fail," 
but,  "  He  is  doomed,  or  destined,  or  sure  to  fail." 

"  The  Russian  nobleman  is  fast  degenerating  ;  he  is 
bound  [destined,  or  will  be  compelled]  to  yield  his  place  to 
new  blood." — Corr.  N.  Y.  Sun. 

"  If  the  Queen  should  insist  upon  [on]  the  appointment 
of  her  son  [her  son's  being  appointed],  there  is  bound  [cer- 
tain] to  be  a  ministerial  crisis." — N.  Y.  Sun. 

Here  is  a  sentence  in  which  the  meaning  of  bound  is 
not  clear :  "  The  Government  is  bound,  in  such  a  personal 
matter,  to  respect  the  Queen's  wishes." — N.  Y.  Sun.  Does 
the  writer  mean  bound  in  honor,  or  will  be  compelled'} 

Bran-new.     A  corruption  of  brand-new. 

Bravery — Courage.  The  careless  often  use  these  two 
words  as  though  they  were  interchangeable.  Bravery  is 
inborn,  is  instinctive  ;  courage  is  the  product  of  reason,  cal- 
culation. There  is  much  merit  in  being  courageous,  little 
merit  in  being  brave.  Men  that  are  simply  brave  are  care- 
less, while  the  courageous  man  is  always  cautious.  Braver)' 
often  degenerates  into  temerity.  Moral  courage  is  that 
firmness  of  principle  that  enables  a  man  to  do  what  he 


32 


THE    VERBALIST. 


deems  to  be  his  duty  although  his  action  may  subject  him 
to  adverse  criticism.  True  moral  courage  is  one  of  the 
rarest  and  most  admirable  of  virtues. 

Alfred  the  Great,  in  resisting  the  attacks  of  the  Danes, 
displayed  bravery  ;  in  entering  their  camp  as  a  spy,  he 
displayed  courage. 

Bring — Fetch — Carry.  The  indiscriminate  use  of 
these  three  words  is  very  common.  To  bring  is  to  convey 
to  or  toward — a  simple  act ;  to  fetch  means  to  go  and  bring 
— a  compound  act ;  to  carry  often  implies  motion  from  the 
speaker,  and  is  followed  by  away  or  off,  and  thus  is  opposed 
to  bring  and  fetch.  Yet  one  hears  such  expressions  as, 
"  Go  to  Mrs.  D.'s  and  bring  her  this  bundle  ;  and  here — 
you  may  fetch  her  this  book  also."  We  use  the  words 
correctly  thus  :  "  E'etch,  or  go  bring,  me  an  apple  from  the 
cellar "  ;  "  When  you  come  home,  bring  some  lemons  "  ; 
"  Carry  this  book  home  with  you." 

British  against  American  English.  "  The  most  im- 
portant peculiarity  of  American  English  is  a  laxity,  irregu- 
larity, and  confusion  in  the  use  of  particles.  The  same 
thing  is,  indeed,  observable  in  England,  but  not  to  the 
same  extent,  though  some  gross  departures  from  idiomatic 
propriety,  such  as  different  to  for  different  from,  are  com- 
mon in  England,  which  none  but  very  ignorant  persons 
would  be  guilty  of  in  America.  ...  In  the  tenses  of  the 
verbs,  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  well-educated  Americans 
conform  more  closely  to  grammatical  propriety  than  the 
corresponding  class  in  England.  ...  In  general,  I  think 
we  may  say  that,  in  point  of  naked  syntactical  accuracy, 
the  English  of  America  is  not  at  all  inferior  to  that  of  Eng- 
land ;  but  we  do  not  discriminate  so  precisely  in  the  mean- 
ing of  words,  nor  do  we  habitually,  in  either  conversation 
or  in  writing,  express  ourselves  so  gracefully  or  employ  so 


THE    VERBALIST. 


33 


classic  a  diction,  as  the  English.  Our  taste  in  language  is 
less  fastidious,  and  our  licenses  and  inaccuracies  are  more 
frequently  of  a  character  indicative  of  want  of  refinement 
and  elegant  culture  than  those  we  hear  in  educated  society 
in  England." — George  P.  Marsh. 

"  We  have  no  dialects  in  this  country,  either  of  locality 
or  of  caste.  In  regard  to  enunciation,  the  average  Ameri- 
can will  make  himself  heard  and  understood,  wherever 
there  is  difficulty  in  hearing,  far  better  than  the  average 
Briton — not  by  virtue  of  vociferation,  but  on  account  of  his 
clearer  and  more  accurate  speech,  especially  in  following 
more  closely  the  spelling.  This  is  illustrated  by  such  words 
as  trait,  silver,  and  schedule,  which  are  pronounced  in  this 
country  according  to  regular  analogy,  but  have  in  Great 
Britain  special  and  exceptional  pronunciations.  It  is  illus- 
trated still  more  clearly  by  dozens  of  geographical  names. 

"  American  spelling  differs  from  British  in  one  respect 
only — its  greater  simplicity.  Illustrations  :  Waggon,  par- 
lour, storey  (of  a  house),  pease  (plural  of  pea),  plough, 
draught,  shew,  cyder,  gaol,  and  many  other  words  that  have 
been  simplified  in  this  country. 

"  American  speech  changes  less  than  British,  (a)  We 
have  preserved  hundreds  of  words  that  have  gone  out  of 
use  in  Great  Britain,  and  we  avoid  the  use  of  many  novel- 
ties invented  in  that  country,  such  as  totalling  or  totting, 
hipped,  navzy,  fad,  randomly,  outing,  and  tnnd.  (b)  We 
avoid  many  recent  changes  in  meaning  that  are  accepted 
by  the  English,  such  as  using  traffic  for  travel  or  passage, 
famous  for  excellent,  bargain  for  haggle,  rot  for  nonsense, 
jug  for  pitcher,  good  form  for  in  good  taste,  trap  for  car- 
riage, tub  for  bathe,  starved  for  frozen,  stop  for  stay,  assist 
for  be  present,  intimate  for  announce,  etc.  (c)  We  refuse  to 
follow  the  British  in  their  arbitrary  restriction  of  the  mean- 


34 


THE    VERBALIST. 


ing  of  certain  words.  Thus,  a  young  person  is  always  a  girl 
in  England.  The  Briton  rides  in  an  omnibus,  but  always 
drives  in  a  carriage  ;  and  though  he  will  say  that  he  is  con- 
fined to  a  sick-room  or  stretched  upon  a  sick-bed,  he  is 
horrified  at  the  idea  of  being  called  sick,  unless  suffering 
from  nausea,  (d)  We  do  not  turn  active  and  reflective 
verbs  into  intransitives.  (e)  We  do  not  abbreviate  words 
so  much.  (/)  We  are  not  so  apt  to  get  in  superfluous 
words — '  What  ever  are  you  doing  ! '  '  The  infant  mortal- 
ity is  something  enormous.'  '  I  don't  say  but  what  this 
work  has  got  to  be  done.' 

"  American  writers  of  the  first  class  seem  to  be,  on  the 
whole,  rather  more  careful  about  grammar  than  are  British 
Of  course,  however,  nobody  denies  that  the  language  has 
suffered  some  bad  treatment  here  as  well  as  abroad." — 
Gilbert  M.  Tucker. 

British  against  American  Orthoepy.  "  The  causes 
of  the  differences  in  pronunciation  [between  the  English 
and  the  Americans]  are  partly  physical,  and  therefore  dif- 
ficult, if  not  impossible,  to  resist,  and  partly  owing  to  a 
difference  of  circumstances.  Of  this  latter  class  of  influ- 
ences, the  universality  of  reading  in  America  is  the  most 
obvious  and  important.  The  most  marked  difference  is, 
perhaps,  in  the  length  or  prosodical  quantity  of  the  vowels  ; 
and  both  of  the  causes  I  have  mentioned  concur  to  produce 
this  effect.  We  are  said  to  drawl  our  words  by  protracting 
the  vowels  and  giving  them  a  more  diphthongal  sound  than 
the  English.  Now,  an  Englishman  who  reads  will  habitu- 
ally utter  his  vowels  more  fully  and  distinctly  than  his 
countryman  who  does  not ;  and,  upon  the  same  principle, 
a  nation  of  readers,  like  the  Americans,  will  pronounce 
more  deliberately  and  clearly  than  a  people  so  large  a  pro- 
portion of  whom  are  unable  to  read,  as  in  England,     From 


THE    VERBALIST.  35 

our  universal  habit  of  reading  there  results  not  only  a 
greater  distinctness  of  articulation,  but  a  strong  tendency 
to  assimilate  the  spoken  to  the  written  language.  Thus, 
Americans  incline  to  give  to  every  syllable  of  a  written 
word  a  distinct  enunciation  ;  and  the  popular  habit  is  to 
say  dic-tion-ar-y,  mil-it-ar-y,  with  a  secondary  accent  on 
the  penultimate,  instead  of  sinking  the  third  syllable,  as  is 
so  common  in  England.  There  is,  no  doubt,  something 
disagreeably  stiff  in  an  anxious  and  affected  conformity  to 
the  very  letter  of  orthography  ;  and  to  those  accustomed  to 
a  more  hurried  utterance  we  may  seem  to  drawl,  when  we 
are  only  giving  a  full  expression  to  letters  which,  though 
etymologically  important,  the  English  habitually  slur  over, 
sputtering  out,  as  a  Swedish  satirist  says,  one  half  of  the 
word  and  swallowing  the  other.  The  tendency  to  make 
the  long  vowels  diphthongal  is  noticed  by  foreigners  as  a 
peculiarity  of  the  orthoepy  of  our  language  ;  and  this  tend- 
ency will,  of  course,  be  strengthened  by  any  cause  which 
produces  greater  slowness  and  fullness  of  articulation.  Be- 
sides the  influence  of  the  habit  of  reading,  there  is  some 
reason  to  think  that  climate  is  affecting  our  articulation. 
In  spite  of  the  coldness  of  our  winters,  our  flora  shows  that 
the  climate  of  even  our  Northern  States  belongs,  upon  the 
whole,  to  a  more  southern  type  than  that  of  England.  In 
southern  latitudes,  at  least  within  the  temperate  zone, 
articulation  is  generally  much  more  distinct  than  in  the 
northern  regions.  Witness  the  pronunciation  of  Spanish, 
Italian,  Turkish,  as  compared  with  English,  Danish,  and 
German.  Participating,  then,  in  the  physical  influences  of 
a  southern  climate,  we  have  contracted  something  of 
the  more  distinct  articulation  that  belongs  to  a  dry  atmos- 
phere and  a  clear  sky.  And  this  view  of  the  case  is  con- 
firmed by  the  fact  that  the  inhabitants  of  the   Southern 


36  THE    VERBALIST. 

States  incline,  like  the  people  of  southern  Europe,  to  throw 
the  accent  toward  the  end  of  the  word,  and  thus,  like  all 
nations  that  use  that  accentuation,  bring  out  all  the  sylla- 
bles. This  we  observe  very  commonly  in  the  comparative 
Northern  and  Southern  pronunciation  of  proper  names.  I 
might  exemplify  by  citing  familiar  instances  ;  but,  lest  that 
should  seem  invidious,  it  may  suffice  to  say  that,  not  to 
mention  more  important  changes,  many  a  Northern  mem- 
ber of  Congress  goes  to  Washington  a  dactyl  or  a  trochee, 
and  comes  home  an  amphibrach  or  an  iambus.  Why  or 
how  external  physical  causes,  as  climate  and  modes  of  life, 
should  affect  pronunciation,  we  can  not  say  ;  but  it  is  evi- 
dent that  material  influences  of  some  sort  are  producing  a 
change  in  our  bodily  constitution,  and  we  are  fast  acquir- 
ing a  distinct  national  Anglo-American  type.  That  the 
delicate  organs  of  articulation  should  participate  in  such 
tendencies  is  altogether  natural  ;  and  the  operation  of  the 
causes  which  give  rise  to  them  is  palpable  even  in  our 
handwriting,  which,  if  not  uniform  with  itself,  is  generally, 
nevertheless,  so  unlike  common  English  script  as  to  be 
readily  distinguished  from  it. 

"  To  the  joint  operation,  then,  of  these  two  causes — 
universal  reading  and  climatic  influences — we  must  ascribe 
our  habit  of  dwelling  upon  vowel  and  diphthongal  sounds, 
or  of  drawling,  if  that  term  is  insisted  upon.  .  .  .  But  it  is 
often  noticed  by  foreigners  as  both  making  us  more  readily 
understood  by  them  when  speaking  our  own  tongue,  and 
as  connected  with  a  flexibility  of  organ,  which  enables  us 
to  acquire  a  better  pronunciation  of  other  languages  than 
is  usual  with  Englishmen.  In  any  case,  as,  in  spite  of  the 
old  adage,  speech  is  given  us  that  we  may  make  ourselves 
understood,  our  drawling,  however  prolonged,  is  preferable 
to  the  nauseous,  foggy,  mumbling  thickness  of  articulation 


THE    VERBALIST.  37 

which  characterizes  the  cockney,  and  is  not  unfrequently 
affected  by  Englishmen  of  a  better  class."— George  P. 
Marsh. 

Bryant's  Prohibited  Words.  See  Index  Expurga- 
roRius. 

But.  This  word  is  misused  in  various  ways.  "  I  do 
not  doubt  but  he  will  be  here  "  :  read,  doubt  that.  "  I 
should  not  wonder  but"  :  read,  if.  "I  have  no  doubt  but 
that  he  will  go  "  :  suppress  but.  "  I  do  not  doubt  but  that 
it  is  true  "  :  suppress  but.  "  There  can  be  no  doubt  but 
that  the  burglary  is  the  work  of  professional  cracksmen." — 
N.  Y.  Herald.  Doubt  that,  and  not  but  that.  "A  careful 
canvass  leaves  no  doubt  but  that  the  nomination,"  etc.  : 
suppress  but.  "  There  is  no  reasonable  doubt  but  that  it  is 
all  it  professes  to  be " :  suppress  but.  "  The  mind  no 
sooner  entertains  any  proposition  but  it  presently  hastens," 
etc. :  read,  than.  "  No  other  resource  but  this  was  allowed 
him  "  :  read,  than. 

There  are  sentences  in  which  but  is  used  correctly  with 
that :  as,  "  I  have  no  fear  but  that  he  will  come  "  ;  mean- 
ing, I  am  sure  he  will  come.  ' '  I  have  no  fear  that  he  will 
come,"  it  will  be  seen,  means  the  contrary  of  what  the 
sentence  means  with  the  but.  "  I  have  no  fear  that  he 
will  not  come  "  is,  however,  a  form  to  be  preferred.  See 
What. 

Bulk.  Though  sanctioned  by  the  dictionaries,  the  use 
of  this  word  in  the  sense  of  the  main  mass,  the  majority, 
the  greater  part,  is  not  considered  by  careful  writers  as 
being  good  diction. 

"  There  was  a  severe  frost  in  Manitoba,  but  although 
the  bulk  [greater  part]  of  the  wheat  is  still  uncut,  it  was 
not  damaged." 

Bully.     "  The  term  is  such  good  old  English  that  there 


38 


THE    VERBALIST. 


would  be  no  objection  to  its  revival,  but  for  its  modern  alle- 
giance to  slang." — De  Vere. 

In  the  interest  of  justice,  we  can't  do  without  it. 

By.  This  word  is  more  frequently  misused  than  any 
other  word  in  the  language.  It  is  often  misused  fur  with, 
and  sometimes  for  from  and  for. 

Before  the  agent  or  doer  we  properly  use  by;  before 
the  instrument  or  means,  with  ;  as,  "  No  wonder  Beethoven 
was  unhappy,  afflicted  as  he  was  by  [with]  such  librettists." 
"  The  place  was  filled  by  [with]  ladies  and  gentlemen." 
"  The  Phi  Beta  Kappa  ode  to  '  The  Republic '  is  distin- 
guished by  [for]  dignity  of  tone  and  .  .  .  by  [for]  .  .  . 
elevation  of  style." — N.  Y.  Tribune. 

"  Of  all  bad  things  by  [with]  which  mankind  are  cursed, 

Their  own  bad  tempers  surely  are  the  worst." 

Cumberland. 

"  We  are  sorry  to  see  that  R.  talks  of  replacing  his  hand- 
book by  [with]  a  manual."  "  Sitting  Bull's  head  was  adorned 
by  [with]  a  number  of  feathers."  "At  length  [last]  the 
queen  chose  a  king  and  the  ball  ended  by  [with]  a  waltz." 
— N.  Y.  Sun. 

"  There  may  have  been  some  wriggling,  but  too  minute 
to  be  detected  by  [with]  the  naked  eye."  "  When  undis- 
turbed, they  seek  a  bit  of  wood,  and  catching  it  by  [with] 
their  horny  legs,"  etc. 

"A  gentleman  by  the  name  of  Ilinkley." — N.  Y. 
Times. 

O  no !  You  mean,  "  A  gentleman  of  the  name  of 
Ilinkley."     This  is  English,  you  know. — N.  Y.  Sun. 

One  may  say,  "  I  know  no  one  of  the  name  of  Brown," 
or  "  I  know  no  one  by  the  name  of  Brown,"  but  the  mean- 
ing is  very  different.  One  might  know  a  man  of  the  name 
of  Brown,  but  know  him  by  the  name  of  Smith  ;  that  is, 


THE    VERBALIST. 


39 


the  man's  name  might  be  really  Brown  though  supposed  to 
be  Smith. 

We  say,  then,  "  I  know  a  man  of  the  name  of  Brown," 
when  we  mean  that  we  know  a  man  whose  name  is 
Brown. 

"Fought  fire  by  [with]  wine."— Headline,  N.  Y.  Sun, 
June  28,  1895. 

Calamity.  This  word  is  sometimes  misused  by  care- 
less writers  in  the  sense  of  loss,  whereas  properly  it  should 
be  used  in  an  abstract  sense,  meaning  source  of  misery,  or 
of  loss.  To  call  a  loss  a  calamity  is  as  absurd  as  it  would 
be  to  call  a  loss  an  inundation,  a  famine,  or  a  plague.  Ca- 
lamities are  causes,  losses  are  results. 

The  following  is  a  typical  sentence  from  the  pen  of  one 
of  whom  it  has  been  good-naturedly  said,  "  Poor  man,  he 
meant  what  he  said,  but  he  didn't  know  what  he  meant." 

"  The  weaker  spirit  of  his  wife  dared  scarcely  offer 
[scarcely  dared  to  offer]  her  tributary  [?]  sympathy  of  tears 
and  sighs  at  their  mutual  [common]  calamity  [loss]." 

What  kind  of  sympathy  is  tributary  sympathy?  We 
have  heard  of  tributary  lands  and  tributary  streams,  but 
never  before  of  tributary  sympathy.  And  then  the  locu- 
tion, "  To  offer  sympathy  at  a  calamity  " — what  does  it 
mean? 

The  only  advantage  of  reading  Mr.  Ralph  Waldo  Em- 
erson forward  instead  of  backward  is,  that  in  reading  him 
forward  the  syntax  is  better. 

Calculate.  "  This  word,"  says  Hodgson,  "bears  now- 
adays a  heavy  load  of  ill-packed  meanings,  being  used  in 
Chambers's  History  of  English  Literature  for  likely,  and  in 
the  following  three  passages  for  ft,  able,  and  suited? 

"He  appeared  calculated  [fit?]  for  no  other  purpose 
than  to  augment  the  number  of  victims." 


40 


THE    VERBALIST. 


"  It  is  not  every  painter  who  [that]  is  calculated  [able] 
to  show  to  so  much  advantage." 

"  He  purposes  to  write  the  lives  of  certain  of  the  Eng- 
lish poets — a  task  for  which  he  is  most  admirably  calcu- 
lated" [suited  or  qualified]. 

This  making  of  calculate  a  sort  of  "  maid  of  all  work  " 
is  certainly  not  to  be  commended.  The  word  means,  To 
ascertain  by  computation  ;  to  reckon  ;  to  estimate  ;  and, 
say  some  of  the  purists,  it  never  means,  when  properly 
used,  anything  else.  Cobbett,  however,  who  is  accounted 
one  of  the  masters  of  English,  says,  "  To  her  whose  great 
example  is  so  well  calculated  to  inspire,"  etc.  ;  and  again, 
"  The  first  two  or  three  sentences  are  well  calculated"  etc. 

Calculate  is  sometimes  vulgarly  used  for  intend,  purpose, 
expect ;  as,  "  He  calculates  to  get  off  to-morrow." 

Caliber.  This  word  is  sometimes  used  very  absurdly  ; 
as,  "  Brown's  Essays  are  of  a  much  higher  caliber  than 
Smith's."  It  is  plain  that  the  proper  word  to  use  here  is 
order. 

Calligraphy.  This  word  is  not,  as  many  seem  to  think, 
a  synonym  of  handwriting.  It  means  the  art  of  writing 
beautifully.  A  scrawl,  therefore,  can  not  properly  be  called 
calligraphy. 

Calumniate.     See  Asperse. 

Can.     See  May. 

Cant.  Cant  is  a  kind  of  affectation  ;  affectation  is  an 
effort  to  sail  under  false  colors  ;  an  effort  to  sail  under  false 
colors  is  a  kind  of  falsehood  ;  and  falsehood  is  a  term  of 
Latin  origin  that  we  often  use  instead  of  the  stronger  Saxon 
term  LIE. 

"  Who  is  not  familiar,"  writes  Dr.  William  Matthews, 
"  with  scores  of  pet  phrases  and  cant  terms  which  [that] 
are  repeated  at  this  day  apparently  without  a  thought  of 


THE    VERBALIST.  41 

their  meaning  ?  Who  ever  attended  a  missionary  meeting 
without  hearing  '  the  Macedonian  cry,'  and  an  account  of 
'  some  little  interest,'  and  '  fields  white  for  the  harvest '  ? 
Who  is  not  weary  of  the  ding-dong  of  '  our  Zion,'  and  the 
solecism  of  '  in  our  midst '  ;  and  who  does  not  long  for  a 
verbal  millennium  when  Christians  shall  no  longer  '  feel  to 
take  '  and  '  grant  to  give  '  ?  " 

"  How  much  I  regret,"  says  Coleridge,  "  that  so  many 
religious  persons  of  the  present  day  think  it  necessary  to 
adopt  a  certain  cant  of  manner  and  phraseology  [and  of 
tone  of  voice]  as  a  token  to  each  other  [one  another]  ! 
They  improve  this  and  that  text,  and  they  must  do  so  and 
so  in  a  prayerful  way  ;  and  so  on." 

"  Cant  is  itself  properly  a  double-distilled  lie — the  sec- 
ond power  of  a  lie." — Carlyle. 

Capable.  This  word  is  often  improperly  used  in  a 
passive  sense,  thus : 

"  Anything  capable  [susceptible]  of  being  salified  is  sali- 
fiable."— Standard  Dictionary. 

"  Anything  capable  [susceptible]  of  being  saved  or  re- 
stored is  salvable." — Standard  Dictionary. 

"  We  beg  [leave]  to  repeat  that  we  require  [need  ?]  more 
articles  capable  [susceptible]  of  pictorial  illustration." — 
Phrenological  Journal. 

Capacity.     See  Ability. 

Caption.  This  word  is  often  used  for  heading,  but,  thus 
used,  it  is  condemned  by  careful  writers.  The  true  meaning 
of  caption  is  a  seizure,  an  arrest.  It  does  not  come  from  a 
Latin  word  meaning  a  head,  but  from  a  Latin  word  mean- 
ing to  seize. 

Caret.  Cobbett  writes  of  the  caret  to  his  son  :  "  The 
last  thing  I  shall  mention  under  this  head  is  the  caret  [  a]> 
which  is  used  to  point  upward  to  a  part  which  [that]  has 

4 


42  THE    VERBALIST. 

been  omitted,  and  which  [that]  is  inserted  between  the  line 
where  the  caret  is  placed  and  the  line  above  it.  Things 
should  be  called  by  their  right  names,  and  this  should  be 
called  the  blunder-mark.  I  would  have  you,  my  dear 
James,  scorn  the  use  of  the  thing.  Think  before  you 
write  ;  let  it  be  your  custom  to  write  correctly  and  in  v.  plain 
hand.  Be  as  careful  that  neatness,  grammar,  and  sense  pre- 
vail when  you  write  to  a  blacksmith  about  shoeing  a  horse 
as  when  you  write  on  the  most  important  subjects.  Habit 
is  powerful  in  all  cases  ;  but  its  power  in  this  case  is  truly 
wonderful.  When  you  write,  bear  constantly  in  mind  that 
some  one  is  to  read  and  to  understand  what  you  write. 
This  will  make  your  handwriting  and  also  your  meaning 
plain.  Far,  I  hope,  from  my  dear  James  will  be  the  ridicu- 
lous, the  contemptible,  affectation  of  writing  in  a  slovenly 
or  illegible  hand,  or  that  of  signing  his  name  otherwise  tha.i 
in  plain  letters." 

Carnival.     A  feast  celebrated  in  Roman  Catholic  coun 
tries  for  a  few  days  immediately  before  Lent.     The  literal 
meaning  of  the  word  is  farewell  to  flesh. 

A  correspondent  of  the  N.  Y.  Sun  uses  this  word 
thus  :  "A  great  trotting  carnival  [=  farewell  to  flesh]  took 
place  here  to-day.  There  were  five  events  [races]  on  the 
programme,  exclusive  of  a  trial  of  speed  by  Maud  S.  [the 
speed  of  Maud  S.]." 

Carry.     See  Bring. 

Case.  Many  persons  of  considerable  culture  continu- 
ally make  mistakes  in  conversation  in  the  use  of  the  cases, 
and  we  sometimes  meet  with  gross  errors  of  this  kind  in 
the  writings  of  authors  of  repute.  Witness  the  following  : 
"  And  everybody  is  to  know  him  except  /." — George 
Meredith  in  The  Tragic  Comedies,  Eng.  ed.,  vol.  i,  p.  33. 
"  Let's  you  and  /  go  " :  say,  me.     We  can  not  say,  Let  / 


THE    VERBALIST. 


43 


go.  Properly,  Let's  go — i.  e.,  Let  us  go,  or,  Let  you  and  me 
go.  "  He  is  as  good  as  vie  "  :  say,  as  /.  "  She  is  as  tall  as 
him  "  :  say,  as  he.  "  You  are  older  than  me  "  :  say,  than  /. 
"  Nobody  said  so  but  he"  :  say,  but  him.  "  Every  one  can 
master  a  grief  but  he  that  hath  it  "  :  correctly,  but  him. 
"John  went  out  with  James  and  I"  :  say,  and  me.  "You 
are  stronger  than  him  "  :  say,  than  he.  "  Between  you  and 
/"  :  say,  and  vie.  "Between  you  and  they":  say,  and 
them.  "  He  gave  it  to  John  and  /"  :  say,  and  vie.  "  You 
told  John  and/":  say,  and  me.  "He  sat  between  him 
and  /"  :  say,  and  vie.  "  He  expects  to  see  you  and  /"  : 
say,  and  vie.  "You  were  a  dunce  to  do  it.  Who?  me?" 
say,  /.  Supply  the  ellipsis,  and  we  should  have,  Who  ?  me 
a  dunce  to  do  it?  "Where  are  you  going?  Who?  vie?" 
say,  /.  We  can't  say,  vie  going.  "  Who  do  you  mean?" 
say,  whom.  "  Was  it  them  ?"  say,  they.  "  If  I  was  him, 
I  would  do  it "  :  say,  were  he.  "  If  I  was  her,  I  would  not 
go":  say,  were  she.  "Was  it  him  7"  say,  he.  "Was  it 
her?"  say,  she.  "For  the  benefit  of  those  whom  he 
thought  were  his  friends  "  :  say,  who.  This  error  is  not 
easy  to  detect  on  account  of  the  parenthetical  words  that 
follow  it.  If  we  drop  them,  the  mistake  is  very  appar- 
ent ;  thus,  "  For  the  benefit  of  those  whom  were  his 
friends." 

"On  the  supposition,"  says  Bain,  "that  the  interroga- 
tive who  has  whom  for  its  objective,  the  following  are  errors  : 
'  zvho  do  you  take  me  to  be  ? '  '  who  should  I  meet  the  other 
day  ? '  '  who  is  it  by  ?  '  '  who  did  you  give  it  to  ? '  '  who  to  ? ' 
'''who  for?'  But,  considering  that  these  expressions  occur 
with  t/ie  best  writers  and  speakers,  that  they  are  viore  ener- 
getic than  the  other  form,  and  that  they  lea  J  to  no  ambiguity, 
it  may  be  doubted  whether  grammarians  have  not  exceeded 
their  province  in  condemning  them." 


44 


THE    VERBALIST. 


Cobbett,  in  writing  of  the  pronouns,  says :  "  When  the 
relatives  are  placed  in  the  sentence  at  a  distance  from  their 
antecedents  or  verbs  or  prepositions,  the  ear  gives  us  no 
assistance.  '  Who,  of  all  the  men  in  the  world,  do  you 
think  I  saw  to-day  ? '  '  Who,  for  the  sake  of  numerous 
services,  the  office  was  given  to.'  In  both  these  cases  it 
should  be  whom.  Bring  the  verb  in  the  first  and  the  prep- 
osition in  the  second  case  closer  to  the  relative,  as,  who  I 
saw,  to  who  the  office  was  given,  and  you  see  the  error  at 
once.  But  take  care  !  '  Whom,  of  all  the  men  in  the 
world,  do  you  think,  was  chosen  to  be  sent  as  an  ambassa- 
dor ? '  '  Whom,  for  the  sake  of  his  numerous  services,  had 
an  office  of  honor  bestowed  upon  him.'  These  are  nomina- 
tive cases,  and  ought  to  have  who  ;  that  is  to  say,  who  was 
chosen,  who  had  an  office." 

"  Most  grammarians,"  says  Dr.  Bain,  in  his  Higher 
English  Grammar,  "  have  laid  down  this  rule  :  '  The  verb 
to  be  has  the  same  case  after  as  before  it.'  Macaulay  cen- 
sures the  following  as  a  solecism  :  '  It  was  him  that  Horace 
Walpole  called  a  man  who  never  made  a  bad  figure  but  as 
an  author.'  Thackeray  similarly  adverts  to  the  same  devia- 
tion from  the  rule  :  '"Is  that  him  ?  "  said  the  lady  in  ques- 
tionable grammar.'  But,  notwithstanding  this,"  continues 
Dr.  Bain,  "  we  certainly  hear  in  the  actual  speech  of  all 
classes  of  society  such  expressions  as  '  it  was  me'  '  it  was 
him'  '  it  was  her'  more  frequently  than  the  prescribed 
form.*  '  This  shy  creature,  my  brother  says,  is  me'  ;  'were 
it  me,  I'd  show  him  the  difference.' — Clarissa  Harlowe.  '  It 
is  not  me  \  you  are  in  love  with.' — Addison.     '  If  there  is 

*  If  this  is  true  in  England,  it  is  not  true  in  America.  Nowhere  in 
the  United  States  is  such  "  questionable  grammar  "  as  this  frequently 
heard  in  cultivated  circles. 

t  "  It  may  be  confidently  affirmed  that  with  good  speakers,  in  the 


THE    VERBALIST.  45 

one  character  more  base  than  another,  it  is  him  who,'  etc. — 
Sydney  Smith.  '  If  I  were  him  '  ;  '  if  I  had  been  her,'  etc. 
The  authority  of  good  writers  is  strong  on  the  side  of  ob- 
jective forms.  There  is  also  the  analogy  of  the  French 
language  ;  for  while  '  I  am  here '  is  je  suis  ici,  the  answer 
to  '  who  is  there  ? '  is  moi  (me) ;  and  cest  tnoi  (it  is  me)  is 
the  legitimate  phrase — never  c'esi  je  (it  is  I)." 

But  moi,  according  to  all  French  grammarians,  is  very 
often  in  the  nominative  case.  Moi  is  in  the  nominative 
case  when  used  in  reply  to  "  Who  is  there  ?  "  and  also  in 
the  phrase  "  Cest  tnoi,"  which  makes  "  It  is  /"  the  correct 
translation  of  the  phrase,  and  not  "  It  is  me."  The  French 
equivalent  of  "  I  !  I  am  here,"  is  "  Moi  !  je  suis  ici."  The 
Frenchman  uses  moi  in  the  nominative  case  vrhenje  would 
not  be  euphonious.  Euphony  with  him,  in  speaking,  is  a 
matter  of  more  importance  than  grammatical  correctness. 
Bescherelle  gives  many  examples  of  moi  in  the  nominative. 
Here  are  two  of  them  :  "  Mon  avocat  et  moi  sommes  de  cet 
avis.  Qui  vent  aller  aver  lui  ?  Moi."  If  we  use  such 
phraseology  as  "  It  is  me"  we  must  do  as  the  French  do — 
consider  me  as  being  in  the  nominative  case,  and  offer 
euphony  as  our  reason  for  thus  using  it. 

When  shall  we  put  nouns  (or  pronouns)  preceding 
verbal,  or  participial,  nouns,  as  they  are  called  by  some 
grammarians — infinitives  in  ing,  as  they  are  called  by  oth- 
ers — in  the  possessive  case  ? 

"  '  I  am  surprised  at  John's  (or  his,  your,  etc.)  refusing 
to  go.'  'I  am  surprised  at  John  (ox  him,  you,  etc.)  refus- 
ing to  go.'  [In  the  latter  sentence  refusing  is  a  participle.] 
The  latter  construction  is  not  so  common  with  pronouns  as 
with  nouns,  especially  with  such  nouns  as  do  not  readily 


case  of  negation,  not  me  is  the  usual  practice."— Bain.     This,  I  confi- 
dently affirm,  is  not  true  in  America. — A.  A. 


4*5 


THE    VERBALIST. 


take  the  possessive  form.  '  They  prevented  him  going  for- 
ward '  :  better,  '  They  prevented  his  going  forward.'  '  lie 
was  dismissed  without  any  reason  being  assigned.'  '  The 
boy  died  through  his  clothes  being  burned.'  '  We  hear  little 
of  any  connection  being  kept  up  between  the  two  nations.' 
'  The  men  rowed  vigorously  for  fear  of  the  tide  turning 
against  us.'  But  most  examples  of  the  construction  without 
the  possessive  form  are  obviously  due  to  mere  sloven- 
liness. .  .  .  '  In  case  of  your  being  absent ' :  here  being  is 
an  infinitive  [verbal,  or  participial,  noun]  qualified  by  the 
possessive  your.  '  In  case  of  your  being  present ' :  here 
being  would  have  to  be  construed  as  a  participle.  The  pos- 
sessive construction  is,  in  this  case,  the  primitive  and  regu- 
lar construction/  THE  OTHER  IS  A  MERE  LAPSE.  The 
difficulty  of  adhering  to  the  possessive  form  occurs  when  the 
subject  is  not  a  person :  '  It  does  not  seem  safe  to  rely  on 
the  rule  of  demand  creating  supply ' :  in  strictness,  '  De- 
mand's creating  supply.'  '  A  petition  was  presented 
against  the  license  being  granted.'  But  for  the  awkward- 
ness of  extending  the  possessive  to  impersonal  subjects,  it 
would  be  right  to  say,  '  against  the  license's  being  grant- 
ed.' '  He  had  conducted  the  ball  without  any  complaint 
being  urged  against  him.'  The  possessive  would  be  suit- 
able, but  undesirable  and  unnecessary." — Professor  Alex- 
ander Bain. 

"  Though  the  ordinary  syntax  of  the  possessive  case  is 
sufficiently  plain  and  easy,  there  is,  perhaps,  among  all  the 
puzzling  and  disputable  points  of  grammar,  nothing  more 
difficult  of  decision  than  are  some  questions  that  occur  re- 
specting the  right  management  of  this  case.  The  observa- 
tions that  have  been  made  show  that  possessives  before 
participles  are  seldom  to  be  approved.  The  following  ex- 
ample is  manifestly  inconsistent  with    itself,  and,  in    my 


THE    VERBALIST.  47 

opinion,  the  three  possessives  arc  all  wrong  :  '  The  kitch- 
en, too,  now  begins  to  give  dreadful  note  of  preparation  ; 
not  from  armorers  accomplishing  the  knights,  but  from  the 
shopmaid's  chopping  forcemeat,  the  apprentice's  cleaning 
knives,  and  the  journeyman's  receiving  a  practical  lesson  in 
the  art  of  waiting  at  table. !  '  The  daily  instances  of  mens 
dying  around  us.'  Say  rather,  '  Of  men  dying  around  us.' 
The  leading  word  in  sense  ought  not  to  be  made  the  ad- 
junct in  construction." — Goold  Brown. 
*  Casualty.  This  word  is  often  heard  with  the  incorrect 
addition  of  a  syllable — casuality — which  is  not  recognized 
by  the  lexicographers. 

Casualty  is  frequently  misused  for  accident.  Accident, 
contingency,  and  casualty,  according  to  Crabb,  all  imply 
things  that  take  place  independently  of  our  intentions. 
Accidents  are  more  than  contingencies,  and  casualties  have 
regard  simply  to  circumstances.  Accidents  are  frequently 
occasioned  by  carelessness,  but  casualties  are  altogether  in- 
dependent of  ourselves.  We  are  all  exposed  to  the  most 
calamitous  accidents  ;  our  happiness  depends  upon  many 
contingencies  ;  the  best  concerted  scheme  may  be  thwarted 
by  casualties  that  no  foresight  can  prevent. 

"  This  deformity  has  the  same  effect  in  natural  faults  a3 
maiming  and  mutilation  has  from  accidents." — Burke. 

"  Men  are  exposed  to  more  casualties  than  women,  as 
battles,  sea  voyages,  with  several  dangerous  trades  and 
professions." — Addison. 

Celebrity.  "  A  number  of  celebrities  witnessed  the 
first  representation."  This  word  is  frequently  used,  es- 
pecially in  the  newspapers,  as  a  concrete  term ;  but  it 
would  be  better  to  use  it  in  its  abstract  sense  only,  and,  in 
sentences  like  the  one  above,  to  say  distinguished  persons. 
Character — Reputation.     These   two   words   are   not 


48  THE    VERBALIST. 

synonyms,  though  often  used  as  such.  Character  means 
the  sum  of  distinguishing  qualities.  "  Actions,  looks, 
words,  steps,  form  the  alphabet  by  which  you  may  spell 
characters." — Lavater.  Reputation  means  the  estimation 
in  which  one  is  held.  One's  reputation,  then,  is  what  is 
thought  of  one's  character ;  consequently,  one  may  have  a 
good  reputation  and  a  bad  character,  or  a  good  character 
and  a  bad  reputation.  Calumny  may  injure  reputation,  but 
not  character.  Sir  Peter  does  not  leave  his  character  be- 
hind him,  but  his  reputation — his  good  name. 

Cheap.  The  dictionaries  define  this  adjective  as  mean- 
ing, bearing  a  low  price,  or  to  be  had  at  a  low  price  ;  but 
nowadays  good  usage  makes  it  mean  that  a  thing  may  be 
had,  or  has  been  sold,  at  a  bargain.  Hence,  in  order  to 
make  sure  of  being  understood,  it  is  better  to'say  lotv-priced, 
when  one  means  low-priced,  than  to  use  the  word  cheap. 
What  is  low-priced,  as  everybody  knows,  is  often  dear,  and 
what  is  high-priced  is  often  cheap.  A  diamond  necklace 
might  be  cheap  at  ten  thousand  dollars,  and  a  pinchbeck 
necklace  dear  at  ten  dollars. 

Cherubim.  The  Hebrew  plural  of  cherub.  "We  are 
authorized,"  says  Dr.  Campbell,  "both  by  use  and  analogy, 
to  say  either  cherubs  and  seraphs,  according  to  the  English 
idiom,  ox  cherubim  and  seraphim,  according  to  the  Oriental. 
The  former  suits  better  the  familiar,  the  latter  the  solemn, 
style.  As  the  words  cherubim  and  seraphim  are  plural,  the 
terms  cherubims  and  seraphims,  as  expressing  the  plural, 
are  quite  improper." — Philosophy  of  Rhetoric. 

Chiefly.  This  is  one  of  quite  a  list  of  words  that  are 
often  misplaced. 

"  In  my  last  conversation  with  Mr.  Benjamin  he  chiefly 
spoke  of  [spoke  chiefly  of]  luminaries  of  the  English  bench 
and  bar." 


THE    VERBALIST. 


49 


Childish.  Occasionally  misused  for  childlike,  as  it  is 
in  the  following  sentence  : 

"  Her  [Taglioni's]  difficulty  seems  to  be  to  keep  to  the 
floor.  You  have  the  feeling,  while  you  gaze  upon  her,  that 
if  she  were  to  rise  and  float  away  like  Ariel,  you  would 
scarce  be  surprised  ;  yet  all  is  done  with  such  a  childish 
unconsciousness  of  admiration  that  the  delight  with  which 
she  fills  you  is  unmingled." 

Childish  ways  are  always  offensive  in  those  that  have, 
in  years,  ceased  to  be  children. 

Citizen.  This  word  properly  means,  one  who  has  cer- 
tain political  rights  ;  when,  therefore,  it  is  used,  as  it  often 
is,  to  designate  persons  who  may  be  aliens,  it,  to  say  the 
least,  betrays  a  want  of  care  in  the  selection  of  words. 
"Several  citizens  were  injured  by  the  explosion."  Here 
some  other  word — persons,  for  example — should  be  used. 

Claim.  Says  Prof.  J.  S.  Blackwell :  "  Claim  in  the  sense 
of  maintain  is  too  modern  to  have  much  authority  other 
than  that  of  newspaper  hacks." 

Says  Mr.  Gilbert  M.  Tucker,  of  The  Cultivator  and 
Country  Gentleman  :  "  Allow  me  to  call  your  attention  to 
one  important  and  disgusting  blunder  not  noted  by  you — 
the  use  of  claim  for  say,  assert,  think,  or  maintain.  I  think 
this  is  far  more  frequently  heard,  taking  the  country  through, 
than  the  opposite  error  of  using  allow  in  the  same  way." 

Clever.  In  this  country  the  word  clever  is  most  im- 
properly used  in  the  sense  of  good-natured,  well-disposed, 
good-hearted.  It  is  properly  used  in  the  sense  in  which 
we  are  wont  most  inelegantly  to  use  the  word  smart,  though 
it  is  a  less  colloquial  term,  and  is  of  wider  application.  In 
England  the  phrase  "  a  clever  man  "  is  the  equivalent  of  the 
French  phrase,  "  un  homme  d 'esprit."  The  word  is  prop- 
erly used   in  the   following   sentences :    "  Every  work  of 


$o 


THE    VERBALIST. 


Archbishop  Whately  must  be  an  object  of  interest  to  the 
admirers  of  clever  reasoning"  ;  "Cobbett's  letter  .  .  .  very 
clever,  but  very  mischievous  "  ;  "  Bonaparte  was  certainly 
as  clever  a  man  as  ever  [has]  lived." 

Climax.  A  clause,  a  sentence,  a  paragraph,  or  any  lit- 
erary composition  whatsoever,  is  said  to  end  with  a  climax 
when,  by  an  artistic  arrangement,  the  more  effective  is 
made  to  follow  the  less  effective  in  regular  gradation. 
Any  great  departure  from  the  order  of  ascending  strength 
is  called  an  anti-climax.  Here  are  some  examples  of 
climax : 

"  Give  all  diligence  ;  add  to  your  faith,  virtue  ;  and  to 
virtue,  knowledge  ;  and  to  knowledge,  temperance  ;  and  to 
temperance,  patience  ;  and  to  patience,  godliness  ;  and  to 
godliness,  brotherly  kindness  ;  and  to  brotherly  kindness, 
charity." 

"  What  is  every  year  of  a  wise  man's  life  but  a  criticism 
on  the  past !  Those  whose  life  is  the  shortest  live  long 
enough  to  laugh  at  one  half  of  it ;  the  boy  despises  the 
infant,  the  man  the  boy,  the  sage  both,  and  the  Christian 
all." 

"  What  a  piece  of  work  is  man  !  how  noble  in  reason  ! 
how  infinite  in  faculties  !  in  form  and  moving,  how  express 
and  admirable  !  in  action,  how  like  an  angel !  in  apprehen- 
sion, how  like  a  god  !  " 

The  word  climax  should  not  be  used  for  acme.  They 
are  not  even  synonyms. 

"  Epistolary  novel-writing  reached  the  acme  of  its  popu- 
larity with  Richardson's  tales."     Correctly  used. 

"  The  glories  of  the  age  of  Louis  XIV  were  the  climax 
[acme]  of  a  set  of  ideas." 

"  They  are  not  only  the  very  climax  [acme]  of  human 
evil,  but  the  most  characteristic  types  of  French  vice." 


THE    VERBALIST.  51 

Commence.  The  Britons  use,  or  misuse,  this  word  in 
a  manner  peculiar  to  themselves.  They  say,  for  example, 
"commenced merchant,"  "commenced  actor,"  "commenced 
politician,"  and  so  on.  Dr.  Hall  tells  us  that  commence  has 
been  employed  in  the  sense  of  "begin  to  be,"  "become," 
"  set  up  as,"  by  first-class  writers,  for  more  than  two  cen- 
turies. Careful  speakers  make  small  use  of  commence  in 
any  sense  ;  they  prefer  to  use  its  Saxon  equivalent,  begin. 

"The  same  persons,"  says  Godfrey  Turner,  "who  ha- 
bitually discard  the  word  many,  when  they  have  a  chance 
of  glorying  in  numerous,  have  concurred  in  giving  the  cold 
shoulder  to  begin.  I  do  not  know  a  more  flagrant  dandy- 
ism of  speech  than  commence  to.  '  Directly  I  commence  to 
speak  every  one  commences  to  look  at  me,'  said  a  mincing 
miss  at  a  suburban  '  At  Home.'  There  are  mincing  misses 
of  the  male  sex  in  authorship  who  are  always  commencing 
to.  Female  authors  are  seldom  caught  at  this  feminine 
weakness  of  phrase.  The  verb  commence,  if  not  followed 
by  some  other  verb  in  the  infinitive  mood,  may  be  tolerated 
for  a  change.  Though  it  is  not  to  be  found  anywhere  in 
the  Bible  (imagine  'In  the  commencement'  !),  it  occurs  a 
few  times  in  Shakespeare  ;  as  many  as  thirteen  times  in  all, 
reckoning  the  inflections  commenced,  commencing,  and  com- 
mencement. Set  this  account  against  the  number  of  times 
Shakespeare  uses  the  word  begin.  I  am  not  going  to  count, 
but  I  find  a  double  row  of  them  in  Mrs.  Cowden  Clarke's 
Concordance,  nearly  as  long  as  the  line  of  Smith,  John,  in 
the  Post  Office  London  Directory,  or  of  area  railings  along 
Wimpole  Street." 

Begin  is  opposed  to  end ;  commence  to  complete  :  one 
begins  a  thing  with  a  view  of  ending  it  ;  one  commences  a 
thing  with  a  view  of  completing  it.  "  Happiness  frequently 
ends  where  prosperity  begins." 


52 


THE    VERBALIST. 


"  Work  will  be  commenced  to-day,  and  some  fourteen 
miles  of  road  is  to  be  completed  in  two  years." — N.  Y. 
Times. 

If  completed  is  retained,  commenced  should  also  be  re- 
tained ;  as,  however,  the  road  may  be  finished  and  still  be 
very  incomplete,  the  diction  would  be  improved  by  substi- 
tuting begun  for  commenced and  finished  {ox  completed,  which 
would  probably  better  express  the  writer's  thought.  See 
Begin. 

Comparison.  When  only  two  objects  are  compared, 
the  comparative,  and  not  the  superlative,  degree  should  be 
used  ;  thus,  "  Mary  is  the  older  of  the  two"  ;  "  John  is  the 
stronger  of  the  two  "  ;  "  Brown  is  the  richer  of  the  two,  and 
the  richest  man  in  the  city  "  ;  "  Which  is  the  more  desir- 
able, health  or  wealth?"  "Which  is  the  most  desirable, 
health,  wealth,  or  genius  ?  " 

"  Of  two  such  lessons,  why  forget 
The  nobler  and  the  manlier  one!" 

Completed.  This  word  is  often  incorrectly  used  for 
finished.  That  is  complete  that  lacks  nothing  ;  that  is 
finished  that  has  had  all  done  to  it  that  was  intended.  The 
builder  of  a  house  may  finish  it  and  yet  leave  it  very  in- 
complete. 

Condign.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  most  persons  who  use 
this  word  do  not  know  its  meaning,  which  is,  suitable,  de- 
served, merited,  proper.  "  His  endeavors  shall  not  lack 
condign  praise" — i.  e.,  his  endeavors  shall  not  lack  proper 
or  their  merited  praise.  "  A  villain  condignly  punished  "  is 
a  villain  punished  according  to  his  deserts.  To  use  condign 
in  the  sense  of  severe  is  just  as  incorrect  as  it  would  be  to 
use  deserved  or  merited  in  the  sense  of  severe. 

"  There  was  a  Parliamentary  surrender  at  discretion  to 
stop  further  inquiry  and   [to]   save  the   plotters,  big  and 


THE    VERBALIST, 


53 


little,  from  condign  [=  deserved]  and  most  deserved  pun- 
ishment." 

"  '  He  deserves  some  condign  [—  deserved]  punish- 
ment,' cried  Mrs.  Grantham." 

"  Practical  punishment  does  not  deserve  condign 
[=  deserved]  punishment  the  less  because  it  often  succeeds 
in  escaping  it." 

Condone  means  to  pardon,  to  forgive.  "  The  public 
will  gladly  condone  his  earlier  errors."  Webster  says  it 
means,  "  to  forgive  for  a  violation  of  the  marriage 
vow."  It  is  sometimes  misused  for  compensate,  and  atone 
for. 

"  The  abolition  of  the  income  tax  more  than  condones 
[atones]  for  the  turmoil  of  an  election." 

"  There  was  a  certain  vague  earnestness  of  belief  about 
him  which  [that]  qualified  and  condoned  [compensated]  the 
shrewd  and  sometimes  jocular  look  of  his  father." 

Confirmed  invalid.  This  phrase  is  a  convenient  mode 
of  expressing  the  idea  it  conveys,  but  it  is  difficult  to  de- 
fend, inasmuch  as  confirmed  means  strengthened,  estab- 
lished. 

Congregate  together.  A  pleonastic  expression  often 
met  with.  Congregate,  unaided,  means  to  collect  or  gather 
together ;  to  assemble. 

"  A  large  number  of  swallows  congregated  together,  as  if 
holding  a  convention,  most  likely  on  the  condition  of  the 
bridge,  as  a  number  have  built  their  nests  among  the  un- 
safe timbers." — Kansas  City  Journal. 

Conquer.  This  word  is  often  employed  when  the 
better  word  would  be  overcome,  or  vanquish.  The  leading 
idea  in  conquer  is  that  of  getting  ;  in  overcome  and  van- 
quish, that  of  getting  the  better  of.  Wellington  overcame 
or  vanquished  Napoleon   at    Waterloo.      Alexander    con- 


54 


THE    VERBALIST. 


quered  the  Persians  after  having  overcome  Darius  in  three 
great  battles. 

Consequence.  This  word  is  sometimes  used  instead 
of  importance  or  moment ;  as,  "  They  were  all  persons  of 
more  or  less  consequence"  :  read,  "of  more  or  less  impor- 
tance." "  It  is  a  matter  of  no  consequence"  :  read,  "  of  no 
moment." 

Consider.  "  This  word,"  says  Mr.  Richard  Grant 
White,  in  his  Words  and  Their  Uses,  "  is  perverted 
from  its  true  meaning  by  most  of  those  who  use  it."  Con- 
sider means,  to  meditate,  to  deliberate,  to  reflect,  to  re- 
volve in  the  mind  ;  and  yet  it  is  made  to  do  service  for  think, 
suppose,  and  regard.  Thus  :  "  I  consider  [think]  his  course 
very  unjustifiable  "  ;  "I  have  always  considered  [thought] 
it  my  duty,"  etc. ;  "  I  consider  [regard  or  look  upon]  him 
as  being  the  cleverest  man  of  my  acquaintance." 

Contemptible.  This  word  is  sometimes  used  for  con- 
temptuous. An  old  story  says  that  a  man  once  said  to  Dr. 
Parr,  "  Sir,  I  have  a  contemptible  opinion  of  you."  "  That 
does  not  surprise  me,"  returned  the  doctor;  "all  your 
opinions  are  contemptible''  What  is  worthless  or  weak  is 
contemptible.  Despicable  is  a  word  that  expresses  a  still 
more  intense  degree  of  the  contemptible.  A  traitor  is  a 
despicable  character,  while  a  poltroon  is  only  contempt- 
ible. 

"  It  contributed  a  good  deal  to  confirm  me  in  the  con- 
temptible [contemptuous]  idea  I  always  entertained  of 
Cellarius." 

"  Having  expressed  himself  in  terms  of  abhorrence  of  a 
piece  of  baseness  and  treachery,  the  delinquent  said,  '  Well, 
sir,  perhaps  some  day  you  may  change  your  opinion  of  me.' 
'  Perhaps  I  may,  sir,'  vas  the  reply,  '  for  if  I  should  find 
any   one   who  holds  a  more  contemptible   [contemptuous] 


THE    VERBALIST.  55 

opinion  of  you  than  I  do  myself,  I  should  lay  down  my 
own  and  take  up  his." 

Continually.     See  Perpetually. 

Continue  on.  The  on  in  this  phrase  is  usually  super- 
fluous. "  We  continued  on  our  way  "  is  idiomatic  English, 
and  is  more  euphonious  than  the  sentence  would  be  with- 
out the  particle.  The  meaning  is,  "  We  continued  to  travel 
on  our  way."  In  such  sentences,  however,  as  "  Continue 
on,"  "  He  continued  to  read  on,"  "  The  fever  continued  on 
for  some  hours,"  and  the  like,  the  on  usually  serves  no 
purpose. 

Continuous — Continual.  "  A  continuous  action  is 
one  that  is  uninterrupted,  and  goes  on  unceasingly  as  long 
as  it  lasts,  though  that  time  may  be  longer  or  shorter. 
Continual  is  that  which  is  constantly  renewed  and  recur- 
ring, though  it  may  be  uninterrupted  as  frequently  as  it  is 
renewed.  A  storm  of  wind  or  rain  which  [that]  ne\er 
intermits  an  instant,  is  continuous  ;  a  succession  of  showers 
is  continual.  If  I  am  exposed  to  continual  interruptions  I 
can  not  pursue  a  continuous  train  of  thought." — Whutely's 
Synonyms. 

"  The  adoption  of  continuous  brakes  on  the  British  rail- 
ways is  becoming  general.  Let  us  hope  that  the  result 
may  be  by  means  of  the  continuous  brakes  to  avoid  the 
continual  smash." — Judy.     See  Perpetually. 

Conversationist.  This  word  is  to  be  preferred  to 
conversationalist.  Mr.  Richard  Grant  White  says  that  con- 
versationalist and  agriculturalist  are  inadmissible.  On  the 
other  hand,  Dr.  Fitzedward  Hall  says  :  "  As  for  conversa- 
tionist and  conversationalist,  agriculturist  and  agricultural- 
ist, as  all  are  alike  legitimate  formations,  it  is  for  conven- 
tion to  decide  which  we  are  to  prefer." 

Converse.     In  logic,  the  word  conversion  signifies  that 


56  THE    VERBALIST. 

the  terms  of  a  proposition  are  transposed,  the  subject  be- 
coming predicate,  the  predicate,  subject  ;  thus,  "  Some 
boasters  are  cowards ;  therefore,  conversely,  some  cowards 
are  boasters." 

"  To  have  wit,  it  is  necessary  to  be  endowed  with  a 
good  understanding.  The  converse  of  this  proposition  is 
not  true." 

"  Though  it  be  [is]  true  that  every  religious  man  must 
be  honest,  the  converse  does  not  follow,  that  every  honest 
man  must  be  religious." 

"  The  king  of  solitude  is  also  the  king  of  society.  The 
reverse  [converse]  is  not  true." 

"  While  our  corn  laws  lasted  we  acted  the  converse 
[reverse]  of  the  Roman  policy." 

Converse  is  sometimes  misused  for  reverse,  inverse, 
opposite. 

Convoke — Convene.  At  one  time  and  another  there 
has  been  some  discussion  with  regard  to  the  correct  use  of 
these  two  words.  According  to  Crabb,  "  There  is  nothing 
imperative  on  the  part  of  those  that  assemble  or  convene, 
and  nothing  binding  on  those  assembled  or  convened:  one 
assembles  or  convenes  by  invitation  or  request ;  one  attends 
to  the  notice  or  not,  at  pleasure.  Convoke,  on  the  other 
hand,  is  an  act  of  authority  ;  it  is  the  call  of  one  who  has 
the  authority  to  give  the  call ;  it  is  heeded  by  those  who 
feel  themselves  bound  to  attend."  Properly,  then,  Presi- 
dent Arthur  convokes,  not  convenes,  the  Senate. 

Co-operate  together.  If  I  had  found  this  expression 
in  a  publication  less  fastidious  than  the  fastidious  Inde- 
pendent, and  if  it  had  been  from  the  pen  of  a  man  less 
cultured  than  the  cultured  Rev.  George  Washburn,  I  should 
not  have  thought  it  worth  while  to  call  attention  to  its  pleo- 
nastic inelegance.     Co-operate  means,  to  act,  to  operate,  or 


THE    VERBALIST.  57 

to  labor  with  one  another  to  the  same  end  ;  and  operate 
together  means,  to  act,  to  operate,  or  to  labor  with  one 
another  to  the  same  end  ;  hence,  co-operate  together  means 
co-operate,  or  operate  together,  and  can  mean  no  more,  which 
makes  it  plain  that  the  co  or  the  together  serves  no  purpose 
— is  a  superfluity. 

Farther  on,  Mr.  Washburn  talks  about  making  an  "  ex- 
perimental attempt  at  co-operation  a  permanent  institution." 
Make  an  attempt  an  institution  !  If  the  reverend  gentle- 
man's preaching  and  praying  are  not  better  than  his  logic 
and  rhetoric  he  is  not  likely  to  save  many  souls. 

Corporeal — Corporal.  These  adjectives,  though  re- 
garded as  synonyms,  are  not  used  indiscriminately.  Cor- 
poral is  used  in  reference  to  the  body,  or  animal  frame,  in 
its  proper  sense  ;  corporeal,  to  the  animal  substance  in  an 
extended  sense — opposed  to  spiritual.  Corporal  punish- 
ment ;  corporeal  or  material  form  or  substance. 

"  That  to  corporeal  substances  could  add 

Speed  most  spiritual." — Milton. 
"  What  seemed  corporal 
Melted  as  breath  into  the  wind." — Shakespeare. 

Couple.  In  its  primitive  signification  this  word  does 
not  mean  simply  two,  but  two  that  are  united  by  some 
bond  ;  such  as,  for  example,  the  tie  that  unites  the  sexes. 
It  has,  however,  been  so  long  used  to  mean  two  of  a  kind 
considered  together,  that  in  this  sense  it  may  be  deemed 
permissible,  though  the  substituting  of  the  word  two  for  it 
would  often  materially  improve  the  diction. 

Courage.    See  Bravery. 

Create.     "  Mme.   Carvalho  .  .  .  has  been  before  the 

public  thirty-five   years,   during  seventeen    of  which   she 

created  [i.  e.,  brought  into  being  ;  caused  to  exist]  fifteen 

distinct  roles  [parts]". — N.   Y.    Sun.     If  Mme.   Carvalho 

5 


58 


THE    VERBALIST. 


created  these  fifteen  parts,  what  did  the  librettists  do  for 
them?  Miss  Rose  Eytinge  tells  us  that  she  created  the 
part  of  Armande  in  Led  Astray,  at  the  Union  Square 
Theater  in  1873.  Now,  if  Miss  E.  created  the  part  of 
Armande,  what  did  Octave  Feuillet  do  who  wrote  Tenta- 
tion,  the  French  play  ;  and  what  did  Dion  Boucicault  do, 
who  put  Tentation  into  its  English  dress,  and  dally,  for 
a  month  or  more,  directed  the  rehearsals?  For  this  absurd 
use  of  the  verb  to  create  we  are  indebted  (!)  to  the  vanity  of 
the  players. 

Creditable.  We  sometimes  see  creditable,  which  means, 
worthy  of  approbation,  reputable,  honorable,  misused  for 
credible,  which  means,  worthy  of  belief,  that  may  be  be- 
lieved. 

"  Two  creditable  [credible]  witnesses,  without  having 
any  communication  one  with  another,  affirmed  the  appear- 
ance of  the  same  man." 

"  I  am  creditably  [credibly]  informed  that  the 
Duke  of  Argyle  can  assemble  five  thousand  men  in 
arms." 

Crime — Vice — Sin.  The  confusion  that  exists  in  the 
use  of  these  words  is  due  largely  to  an  imperfect  under- 
standing of  their  respective  meanings.  Crime  is  the  viola- 
tion of  the  law  of  a  state  ;  hence,  as  the  laws  of  states  differ, 
what  is  crime  in  one  state  may  not  be  crime  in  another. 
Vice  is  a  course  of  wrong-doing,  and  is  not  modified  either 
by  country,  religion,  or  condition.  As  for  sin,  it  is  very 
difficult  to  define  what  it  is,  as  what  is  sinful  in  the  eyes  of 
one  man  may  not  be  sinful  in  the  eyes  of  another  ;  what  is 
sinful  in  the  eyes  of  a  Jew  may  not  be  sinful  in  the  eyes  of 
a  Christian  ;  and  what  is  sinful  in  the  eyes  of  a  Christian  of 
one  country  may  not  be  sinful  in  the  eyes  of  a  Christian  of 
another  country.     In  the  days  of  slavery,  to  harbor  a  run- 


THE    VERBALIST.  59 

away  slave  was  a  crime,  but  it  was,  in  the  eyes  of  most  peo- 
ple, neither  a  vice  nor  a  sin. 

Crushed  out.  "  The  rebellion  was  finally  crushed  out." 
Out  of  what  ?  We  may  crush  the  life  out  of  a  man,  or 
crush  a  man  to  death,  and  crush — not  crush  out — a  rebellion. 

Cultured.  This  word  is  said  to  be  a  product  of  Bos- 
ton— an  excellent  place  for  anybody  or  anything  to  come 
from.  Many  persons  object  to  its  use  on  the  ground  that 
there  can  be  no  such  participial  adjective,  because  there  is 
no  verb  in  use  from  which  to  form  it.  We  have  in  use  the 
substantive  culture,  but,  though  the  dictionaries  recognize 
the  verb  to  culture,  we  do  not  use  it.  Be  this  objection 
valid  or  be  it  not,  cultured  having  but  two  syllables,  while 
its  synonym  cultivated  has  four,  it  is  likely  to  find  favor 
with  those  that  employ  short  words  when  they  convey  their 
meaning  as  well  as  long  ones.  Other  adjectives  of  this  kind 
are,  moneyed,  whiskered,  slippered,  lettered,  talented, 
cottaged,  lilied,  anguished,  gifted,  and  so  forth.  See 
Talented. 

Dangerous.  This  word  is  often  used  very  incorrectly 
in  speaking  of  persons  that  are  ill.  "  He  is  sick,  but  not 
dangerous  "  ;  say,  not  in  danger,  or,  not  dangerously. 

Dearest.  "  A  gentleman  once  began  a  letter  to  his 
bride  thus  :  '  My  dearest  Maria.'  The  lady  replied :  '  My 
dear  John,  I  beg  that  you  will  mend  either  your  morals  or 
your  grammar.  You  call  me  your  "  dearest  Maria  "  ;  am  I 
to  understand  that  you  have  other  Marias  '  ?  " — Moon's 
Bad  English. 

The  editor  of  the  Brooklyn  Daily  News  believes  in 
using  superlatives ;  he  says  :  "  It  will  be  many  years,  we 
apprehend,  before  lovers  will  discontinue  calling  one  an- 
other 'dearest'  at  Mr.  Ayres's  particular  request.  When 
an  ardent  young  man  addresses  his  mistress  as  '  My  dearest 


60  THE    VERBALIST. 

Maria,'  it  does  not  imply  that  he  has  a  number  of  Marias, 
whatever  the  author  of  The  Verbalist  may  think  about 
it :  it  implies  that  of  all  the  things  in  the  world  his  Maria 
is  the  dearest,  and  it  is  quite  right  for  the  young  gentle- 
man to  say  so.  Affection  deals  in  superlatives,  and  a  lover 
who  will  not  or  can  not  use  them  is  a  cold-hearted  humbug. 
In  short,  Mr.  Ayres  has  set  forth  on  a  fool's  errand  when 
he  attempts  to  reform  a  language  in  no  serious  need  of 
reformation  by  the  establishment  of  [establishing]  such  arbi- 
trary rules  as  he  sets  forth.  There  are  too  many  restric- 
tions upon  speech  already,  and  it  were  better  to  violate 
every  grammatic  and  rhetorical  dogma  than  to  have  our 
literature  hedged  around  in  a  dead  level  of  commonplaces. 
When  a  man  has  an  earnest  thought,  no  matter  how  he 
blurts  it  out  so  that  the  language  fit  the  meaning,  and  if  it 
has  a  glow  and  sincerity  that  defies  conventional  forms,  so 
much  the  better.  Even  Mr.  Ayres  is  at  his  best  when  he 
is  maddest." 

But  then,  you  see,  there  would  be  very  little  good  in 
Mr.  Ayres's  best  if  he  didn't  observe  some  of  the  rules  of 
grammar  and  rhetoric.  As  for  addressing  one's  sweetheart 
as  one's  "  dearest,"  no  one  but  a  bloodless  pedant  would 
seriously  object  to  it. 

Decade  means  the  sum  or  number  of  ten.  "  He  put 
one  in  each  decade  to  death."  It  is  used  by  many  gooc! 
writers  nowadays  precisely  as  we  use  the  word  century. 

"  We  can  not  expect  that  three  decades  of  equality  before 
the  law  should  obliterate  the  passions  and  prejudices  in- 
duced by  three  centuries  of  wrong  and  insult." 

"Between  1870  and  '80,  probably  about  the  middle  0/ 
the  decade." 

Many  other  writers  seem  to  prefer  decade  of  years. 

"  During  the  last  decade  of  years" — (Gladstone. 


THE    VERBALIST.  6 1 

Deceiving.  "  You  are  deceiving  me."  Not  infrequent- 
ly deceiving  is  used  when  the  speaker  means  trying  to  de- 
<  ive.  It  is  when  we  do  not  suspect  deception  that  we  are 
deceived. 

Decimate.  The  Latin  word  from  which  this  word 
comes,  meant,  in  the  olden  time,  the  taking  of  the  tenth, 
as  the  taking  of  every  tenth  soldier  for  punishment  by 
death,  or  the  taking  of  the  tenth  of  a  subject's  produce  as 
a  yearly  tax.  In  writing  of  the  things  that  occur  nowadays 
the  word  should  not  be  used. 

Demean.  This  word  should  not  be  used  in  the  sense 
of,  to  lower,  to  debase,  to  disgrace,  to  humble  oneself.  Its 
true  meaning  is,  to  conduct  oneself,  to  bear  oneself,  to 
carry  oneself.  When  we  say  that  a  man  at-means  himself 
— i.  e.,  that  he  conducts  or  behaves  himself — like  a  gentle- 
man, or  a  blackguard,  as  the  case  may  be,  we  use  the  word 
in  its  proper  sense. 

"  Zerlina,  after  having  mourned  her  husband's  death 
for  a  decent  time,  demeans  [should  be,  lowers  or  disgraces] 
herself  by  marrying  a  former  lover." 

Denude.  "  The  vulture,"  says  Brande,  "  has  some  part 
of  the  head  and  sometimes  of  the  neck  denuded  of  feath- 
ers." Most  birds  might  be  denuded  of  the  feathers  on  their 
heads  ;  not  so,  however,  the  vulture,  for  his  head  is  always 
featherless.  A  thing  can  not  be  denuded  of  what  it  does 
not  have.  Denuding  a  vulture's  head  and  neck  of  the 
feathers  is  like  denuding  an  eel  of  its  scales. 

As  denude  means,  to  strip  the  covering  from,  to  make 
naked,  the  use  of  the  word  in  the  following  sentence  could 
not  be  easily  defended  : 

"  Lake  P.  is  reported  as  being  almost  denuded  of  its 
large  fish."— N.  V.  Sun. 

Depart,     Lovers  of  big  words  often  use  depart  when 


62  THE    VERBALIST. 

go  or  set  out  or  off  would  express  their  thought  just  as  well, 
and  be  much  better  diction. 

"  That  functionary,  on  this  particular  occasion,  had  de- 
parted [set  out,  or  off]  with  his  burden  somewhat  late  in 
the  evening." 

"  Mr.  Blaine  departs  [leaves  here]  for  Bar  Harbor  to- 
morrow, to  remain  for  an  indefinite  period.  He  will  spend 
the  Sabbath  [Sunday]  with  Senator  Eugene  Hale,  in  Els- 
worth." 

Deprecate.  Strangely  enough,  this  word  is  often  mis- 
used in  the  sense  of  disapprove,  censure,  condemn  ;  as, 
"  He  deprecates  the  whole  proceeding "  ;  "  Your  course, 
from  first  to  last,  is  universally  deprecated."  But,  accord- 
ing to  the  authorities,  the  word  really  means,  to  endeavor 
to  avert  by  prayer  ;  to  pray  exemption  or  deliverance  from  ; 
to  beg  off ;  to  entreat  ;  to  urge  against. 

"  Daniel  kneeled  upon  his  knees  to  deprecate  the  cap- 
tivity of  his  people." — Hewyt. 

Description.  This  word  is  very  often  and  very  ab- 
surdly made  to  do  service  for  kind  or  sort,  thus  : 

"  His  manners  were,  in  truth,  not  always  of  the  most 
amiable  description^ 

"  But  little  trace  has  been  left  of  Roman  occupation, 
and  such  remains  as  have  been  discovered  are  mainly  of 
the  portable  description  that  affords  little  proof  of  actual 
settlement." 

Desirous.     See  Anxious. 

Desperately.  "  A  Spanish  victory  which  [that]  was  of 
the  most  signal  character,  if  Marti  was  killed  and  Gomez 
was  desperate/}'  wounded." 

No  painstaking  writer  would  use  desperately  as  it  is  used 
here. 

Despite.     This  word  is  often  incorrectly  preceded  by 


THE    VERBALIST.  63 

in  and  followed  by  of;  thus,  "In  despite  of  all  our  efforts 
to  detain  him,  he  set  out"  ;  which  should  be,  "  Despite  all 
our  efforts,"  etc.,  or  "In  spite  of  all  our  efforts,"  etc. 

Detect.  Often  misused  for  distinguish,  recognize,  dis- 
cover, see. 

"  I  did  not  detect  [discover]  anything  wrong  in  his  ap- 
pearance." 

"  I  could  not  detect  [see]  any  difference  between  them." 

"  They  may  be  easily  detected  [recognized]  by  their 
knowing  look  or  from  [by]  the  stolid,  almost  idiotic,  ex- 
pression," etc. 

Deteriorate  means,  properly,  to  make  or  to  grow  worse, 
but  is  sometimes  misused  in  the  sense  of  to  take  away,  to 
detract,  to  lessen,  to  depreciate. 

"  Does  it  deteriorate  from  [lessen]  Milton's  greatness 
that  he  could  not  have  given  us  the  conception  of  Fal- 
staff?" 

"  You  must  not  consider  [think]  that  I  wish  to  deterio- 
rate in  any  degree  from  the  merits  of  the  man."  [Read 
depreciate,  or  underrate.] 

The  word  is  correctly  used  thus  :  Among  the  unlet- 
tered, morals  as  well  as  manners  deteriorate. 

Determined.     See  Bound. 

Diametrically.     Sometimes  misused  for  absolutely. 

"  Motives  and  acts  which  [that]  are  not  only  without 
foundation,  but  [are]  diametrically  [absolutely]  untrue." 

The  word  is  correctly  used  thus  :  "  His  version  of  the 
story  is  diametrically  opposite  to  the  truth."  Here  we 
have  the  two  ends  of  the  diameter. 

Diction.  This  is  a  general  term,  and  is  applicable  to 
a  single  sentence  or  to  a  connected  composition.  Bad  dic- 
tion may  be  due  to  errors  in  grammar,  to  a  confused  dispo- 
sition of  words,  or  to  an  improper  use  of  words,     Piction. 


64 


THE    VERBALIST. 


to  be  good,  requires  to  be  only  correct  and  clear.  Of  ex- 
cellent examples  of  bad  diction  there  are  very  many  in  a 
little  work  by  Br.  L.  T.  Townsend,  Professor  of  Sacred 
Rhetoric  in  Boston  University,  the  first  volume  of  which 
has  lately  come  under  my  notice.  The  first  ten  lines  of 
Dr.  Townsend's  preface  are  : 

"  The  leading  genius1  of  the  People's  College  at  Chau- 
tauqua Lake,  with  a  [the  ?]  view  of  providing  for  his  course'2 
a  text-book,  asked  for  the  publication  of  the  following  laws 
and  principles  of  speech.3 

"  The  author,  not  seeing  sufficient  reason  4  for  withhold- 
ing what  had  been  of  much  practical  benefit5  to  himself, 
consented.6 

"  The  subject-matter  herein  contained  is  an  outgrowth 
from7  occasional  instructions8  given9  while  occupying10  the 
chair  u  of  Sacred  Rhetoric." 

i.  The  phrase  leading  genius  is  badly  chosen.  Founder, 
projector,  head,  organizer,  principal,  or  president — some  one 
of  these  terms  would  probably  have  been  appropriate.  2. 
What  "  course  "  ?  Race  course,  course  of  ethics,  aesthetics, 
rhetoric,  or  what?*  3.  "The  following  laws  and  princi- 
ples of  speech."  And  how  came  these  laws  and  principles 
in  existence  ?  Who  made  them  ?  We  are  to  infer,  it  would 
seem,  that  Professor  Townsend  made  them,  and  that  the 
world  would  have  had  to  go  without  the  laws  that  govern 
language  and  the  principles  on  which  language  is  formed 
had  it  pleased  Professor  Townsend  to  withhold  them.  4. 
"  Sufficient  reason  "  !  Then  there  were  reasons  why  Pro- 
fessor Townsend  ought  to  have  kept  these  good  things  all 
to  himself;  only,  they  were  not  sufficient.  5.  "Practical 
benefit  "  !     Is  there  any  such  thing  as  impractical  benefit  ? 


*  Should  be,  a  Wxt-book  for  /(is  course,  and  not,  for  his  course  a 

If.rt-bo?!; 


THE    VERBALIST  65 

Are  not  all  benefits  practical  ?  and,  if  they  are,  what  pur- 
pose does  the  epithet  practical  serve  ?  6.  "  Consented  "  to 
what  ?  It  is  easy  to  see  that  the  Doctor  means  acceded  to 
the  request,  but  he  is  a  long  way  from  saying  so.  The  ob- 
ject writers  usually  have  in  view  is  to  convey  thought,  not 
to  set  their  readers  to  guessing.  7.  The  outgrowth  of 
would  be  English.  8.  "  Occasional  instructions  "  '  Very 
vague,  and  well  calculated  to  set  the  reader  to  guessing 
again.  9.  "  Given  to  "  whom  ?  10.  Holding.  We  occupy  a 
chair  when  we  sit  in  it,  and  fill  an  office  when  we  discharge 
its  duties.  Dr.  Townsend  held  the  chair,  but  he  did  not 
fill  it.  11.  "  The  chair."  The  definite  article  made  iL 
necessary  for  the  writer  to  specify  what  particular  chair  of 
sacred  rhetoric  he  meant. 

These  ten  lines  are  a  fair  specimen  of  the  diction  of  the 
entire  volume.  I  know  of  no  other  book — not  one — so 
badly  written,  and  yet  the  Rev.  Doctor  sends  it  out  as  a 
teacher  of  those  persons  that  are  desirous  to  better  their 
knowledge  of  English.  An  endeavor  to  better  one's  knowl- 
edge of  English  by  studying  such  books  as  Townsend's  Art 
of  Speech  is  not  unlike  an  endeavor  to  better  one's  morals 
by  associating  with  thieves.  Dr.  Townsend,  like  many  an- 
other, mistakes  a  verbal  flux  he  is  afflicted  with  for  literary 
aptitude. 

Page  131.  "To  render  a  given  ambiguous  or  unintel- 
ligible sentence  transparent,  the  following  suggestions  are 
recommended."  The  words  in  italics  are  unnecessary, 
since  what  is  ambiguous  is  unintelligible.  Then,  who  has 
ever  heard  of  recommending  suggestions  ? 

Dr.  Townsend  speaks  of  mastering  a  subject  before  pub" 
lishing  it.     Publishing  a  subject? 

Page  133.  "  Violations  of  simplicity,  whatever  the  type, 
show  either  that  the  mind  of  the  writer  is  tainted  with  affec 


66  THE    VERBALIST. 

tation,  or  else  that  an  effort  is  making  to  conceal  conscious 
poverty  of  sentiment  under  loftiness  of  expression."  Here 
is  an  example  of  a  kind  of  sentence  that  can  be  mended  in 
only  one  way — by  rewriting,  which  might  be  done  thus  : 
Violations  of  simplicity,  whatever  the  type,  show  either  that 
the  writer  is  tainted  with  affectation,  or  that  he  is  making 
an  effort  to  conceal  poverty  of  thought  under  loftiness  of 
expression. 

Page  143.  "This  quality  is  fully  stated  and  recom- 
mended," etc.     Who  has  ever  heard  of  stating  a  quality? 

On  page  145  Dr.  Townsend  says :  "  A  person  can  not 
read  a  single  book  of  poor  style  without  having  his  own 
style  vitiated."  A  book  of  poor  style  is  an  awkward  ex- 
pression, to  say  the  least.  A  single  badly-writen  book  would 
have  been  unobjectionable. 

Page  160.  "  The  presented  picture  produces  instantly 
a  definite  effect."  Why  this  unusual  disposition  of  words  ? 
Why  not  say,  in  accordance  with  the  idiom  of  the  language, 
"  The  picture  presented  instantly  produces,"  etc.  ? 

Page  161.  "  The  boy  studies  .  .  .  geography,  and  hates 
everything  connected  with  the  sea  and  land."  Why  the 
boy  ?  As  there  are  few  things  besides  seals  and  turtles 
that  are  connected  with  the  sea  and  land,  the  boy  in  ques- 
tion has  few  things  to  hate. 

On  page  175  Dr.  Townsend  heads  a  chapter  thus : 
"Art  of  acquiring  Skill  in  the  use  of  Poetic  Speech." 
This  reminds  one  of  the  man  that  tried  to  lift  himself  over 
a  fence  by  taking  hold  of  the  seat  of  his  breeches.  "  How 
to  acquire  skill  "  is  probably  what  is  meant. 

On  page  232,  "  Jeremy  Taylor  is  among  the  best  models 
of  long  sentences  which  are  both  clear  and  logical."  Jeremy 
Taylor  is  a  clear  and  logical  long  sentence  ?  !  True,  our 
learned  rhetorician  says  so,  but  he  doesn't  mean  it.     He 


THE    VERBALIST. 


67 


means,  "  In  Jeremy  Taylor  we  find  some  of  the  best  exam- 
ples of  long  sentences  that  are  at  once  clear  and  logical." 

Since  the  foregoing  was  written,  the  second  volume  of 
Professor  Townsend's  Art  of  Speech  has  been  published. 
In  the  brief  preface  to  this  volume  we  find  this  character- 
istic sentence  :  "  The  author  has  felt  that  clergymen  more 
than  those  of  other  professions  will  study  this  treatise." 
The  antecedent  of  the  relative  those  being  clergymen,  the 
sentence,  it  will  be  perceived,  says  :  "  The  author  has  felt 
that  clergymen  more  than  clergymen  of  other  professions 
will  study  this  treatise."  Comment  on  such  "art"  as  Pro- 
fessor Townsend's  is  not  necessary. 

I  find  several  noteworthy  examples  of  bad  diction  in  an 
article  in  a  recent  number  of  an  Australian  magazine.  The 
following  are  some  of  them  :  "  Large  capital  always  man- 
ages to  make  itself  master  of  the  situation  ;  it  is  the  small 
capitalist  and  the  small  landholder  that  would  suffer,"  etc. 
Should  be,  "  The  large  capitalist  .   .   .  himself"  etc. 

Again :  "  The  small  farmer  would  ...  be  despoiled 
...  of  the  meager  profit  which  strenuous  labor  had  con- 
quered from  the  reluctant  soil."  Not  only  are  the  epithets 
in  italics  superfluous,  and  consequently  weakening  in  their 
effect,  but  idiom  does  not  permit  strenuous  to  be  used  to 
qualify  labor  :  hard  labor  and  strenuous  effort. 

Again  :  "  Capital  has  always  the  choice  of  a  large  field." 
Should  be,  "the  choice  offered  by  a  large  field." 

Again  :  "  Should  capital  be  withdrawn,  tenements  would 
soon  prove  insufficient."  Should  be,  "  the  number  of  tene- 
ments would,"  etc. 

Again:  "Men  of  wealth,  therefore,  would  find  their 
Fifth  Avenue  mansions  and  their  summer  villas  a  little 
more  burdened  with  taxes,  but  with  this  increase  happily 
balanced  by  the  exemption  of  their  bonds  and  mortgager, 


68  THE    VERBALIST. 

their  plate  and  furniture."  The  thought  here  is  so  simple 
that  we  easily  divine  it ;  but  if  we  look  at  the  sentence  at 
all  carefully,  we  find  that,  though  we  supply  the  ellipses  in 
the  most  charitable  manner  possible,  the  sentence  really 
says  :  "  Men  would  find  their  mansions  more  burdened,  but 
would  find  them  with  this  increased  burden  happily  bal- 
anced by  the  exemption,"  etc.  The  sentence  should  have 
been  framed  somewhat  in  this  wise:  "Men  .  .  .  would 
find  their  .  .  .  mansions  .  .  .  more  burdened  with  taxes, 
but  this  increase  in  the  taxes  on  their  real  estate  would  be 
happily  balanced  by  the  exemption  from  taxation  of  their 
bonds,  mortgages,  plate,  and  furniture." 

Again  :  "  Men  generally  .  .  .  would  be  inclined  to  laugh 
at  the  idea  of  intrusting  the  modern  politician  with  such 
gigantic  opportunities  for  enriching  his  favorites."  We  do 
not  intrust  one  another  with  opportunities.  To  enrich 
would  better  the  diction. 

Again  :  "  The  value  of  land  that  has  accrued  from  labor 
is  not  ...  a  just  object  for  confiscation."  Correctly  :  "  The 
value  of  land  that  has  resulted  horn  labor  is  not  justly  .  .  . 
an  object  of  confiscation."  Accrue  is  properly  used  more 
in  the  sense  of  spontaneous  growth. 

Again:  "  If  the  state  attempts  to  confiscate  this  in- 
crease by  means  of  taxes,  either  rentals  will  increase  corre- 
spondingly, or  such  a  check  will  be  put  upon  the  growth  of 
each  place  and  all  the  enterprises  connected  with  it  that 
greater  injury  would  be  done  than  if  things  had  been  left 
untouched."  We  have  here,  it  will  be  observed,  a  con- 
fusion of  moods  ;  the  sentence  begins  in  the  indicative  and 
ends  in  the  conditional.  The  words  in  italics  are  worse 
than  superfluous.  Rewritten  :  "  If  the  state  should  attempt 
to  confiscate  this  increase  by  means  of  taxes,  either  rentals 
'  ■'  increase  correspondingly,  or  such  a  check  would  be 


THE    VERBALIST. 


69 


put  upon  growth  and  enterprise  that  greater  injur}'  would," 
etc. 

Again  :  "  The  theory  that  land  ...  is  a  boon  of  Na- 
ture, to  which  every  person  has  an  inalienable  right  equal 
to  every  other  person,  is  not  new."  The  words  theory  and 
boon  are  here  misused.  A  theory  is  a  system  of  suppositions. 
The  things  man  receives  from  Nature  are  gifts,  not  boons  : 
the  gift  of  reason,  the  gift  of  speech,  etc.  The  sentence 
should  be  :  "  The  declaration  (or  assertion)  that  land  ...  is 
a  gift  of  Nature,  to  which  every  person  has  an  inalienable 
right  equal  to  that  of  any  other  peison,  is  not  new."  Or, 
more  simply  and  quite  as  forcibly :  "...  to  which  one 
person  has  an  inalienable  right  equal  to  that  of  another,  is 
not  new."  Or,  more  simply  still,  and  more  forcibly : 
"...  to  which  one  man  has  as  good  a  right  as  another,  is 
not  new."  By  substituting  the  word  man  for  person,  we 
have  a  word  of  one  syllable  that  here  expresses  all  that  the 
longer  word  expresses.  The  fewer  the  syllables,  if  the 
thought  be  fully  expressed,  the  more  vigorous  the  diction. 
Inalienability  being  foreign  to  the  discussion,  the  long  word 
inalienable  only  encumbers  the  sentence. 

"  We  have  thus  '  passed  in  review  *7  the  changes  and  im- 
provements 3  which  the  revision  contains  4  in  the  First  Epis- 
tle to  the  Corinthians.  It  has  5  not,  indeed,6  been  possible 
to  refer  to  7  them  all  ;  but  so  many  illustrations  8  have  been 
given  in  9  the  several  classes  described  that  the  reader  will 
have  10  a  satisfactory  "  survey  of  the  whole  subject.  What- 
ever may  be  said  of  other  portions  u  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment, we  think  it  will  be  generally  admitted  that  in  this 
Epistle  the  changes  have  improved  the  old  l3  translation. 
They  are  such  as  '*  make  the  English  version  1S  conform 
more  completely  16  to  the  Greek  original.  If  this  be  "  true, 
the  revisers  have  done  a  cood  work  for  the  Church.18     If  it 


70 


THE    VERBALIST. 


be  true  19  with  regard  to  all  the  New  Testament  books,  the 
work  which  they  have  done  will  remain  '20  a  blessing  to  the 
readers  of  those  books  for  21  generations  to  come.  But  the 
blessing  will  be  only  in  the  clearer  presentation  of  the  Di- 
vine truth,  and,  therefore,  it  will  be  only  to  the  glory  of  God." 
This  astonishingly  slipshod  bit  of  composition  is  from 
the  pen  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Timothy  Dwight.  If  the  learned 
Professor  of  Divinity  in  Yale  College  deemed  it  worth 
while  to  give  a  little  thought  to  manner  as  well  as  to  mat- 
ter, it  is  probable  that  his  diction  would  be  very  different 
from  what  it  is  ;  and  if  he  were  to  give  a  few  minutes  to 
the  making  of  verbal  corrections  in  the  foregoing  para- 
graph, he  would,  perhaps,  do  something  like  this  :  I.  Change 
thus  to  now.  2.  Write  some  of  the  changes.  3.  Strike  out 
and  improvements.  4.  For  contains  changes  substitute  some 
other  form  of  expression.  5.  instead  of  has  been,  write  was. 
6.  Strike  out  indeed.  7.  Instead  of  refer  to,  write  cite.  8. 
Change  illustrations  to  examples.  9.  Instead  of  in,  write 
of.  10.  Instead  of  the  reader  will  have,  write  the  reader 
will  be  able  to  get.  II.  Change  satisfactory  to  tolerable.  12. 
Change  portions  to  farts.  13.  Not  talk  of  the  old  transla- 
tion, as  we  have  no  new  one.  14.  Strike  out  as  superfluous 
the  words  are  such  as.  15.  Change  version  to  text.  16. 
Substitute  nearly  for  completely,  which  does  not  admit  of 
comparison.  17.  Substitute  the  indicative  for  the  condi- 
tional. 18.  End  sentence  with  the  word  work.  19.  Intro- 
duce also  after  be.  20.  Instead  of  remain,  in  the  sense  of 
be,  use  be.  21.  Introduce  the  after  for.  As  for  the  last 
sentence,  it  reminds  one  of  Mendelssohn's  Songs  without 
Words,  though  here  we  have,  instead  of  a  song  and  no 
words,  words  and  no  song,  or  rather  no  meaning.  As  is 
often  true  of  cant,  we  have  here  simply  a  syntactical 
arrangement  of  words  signifying — nothing. 


THE    VERBALIST.  J\ 

If  Professor  Dwight  were  of  those  that,  in  common  with 
the  Addisons  and  Macaulays  and  Newmans,  think  it  worth 
while  to  give  some  attention  to  diction,  the  thought  con- 
veyed in  the  paragraph  under  consideration  would  per- 
haps have  been  expressed  somewhat  in  this  wise  : 

"  We  have  now  passed  in  review  some  of  the  changes 
that,  in  the  revision,  have  been  made  in  the  First  Epistle 
to  the  Corinthians.  It  was  not  possible  to  cite  them  all, 
but  a  sufficient  number  of  examples  of  the  several  classes 
described  have  been  given  to  enable  the  reader  to  get  a 
tolerable  survey  of  the  whole  subject.  Whatever  may  be 
said  of  the  other  parts  of  the  New  Testament,  we  think  it 
will  be  generally  admitted  that  in  this  epistle  the  changes 
have  improved  the  translation.  They  make  the  English 
text  conform  more  nearly  to  the  Greek.  This  being  true, 
the  revisers  have  done  a  good  work  ;  and  if  it  be  also  true 
with  regard  to  all  the  New  Testament  books,  the  work  that 
they  have  done  will  be  a  blessing  to  the  readers  of  these 
books  for  the  generations  to  come." 

Die  with — from.  Man  and  brute  die  of,  and  not  with 
or  from,  fevers,  consumption,  the  plague,  pneumonia,  old 
age,  and  so  on. 

"  The  health  officer  decided  that  Fennel  had  died/;w;/ 
[of]  yellow  fever,  and  accordingly  the  body  was  cremated." 
— N.  V.  Sun. 

Differ.  Writers  differ  from  one  another  in  opinion 
with  regard  to  the  particle  we  should  use  with  this  verb. 
Some  say  they  differ  with,  others  that  they  differ  from, 
their  neighbors  in  opinion.  The  weight  of  authority  is  on 
the  side  of  always  using  from,  though  A  may  differ  with  C 
from  D  in  opinion  with  regard,  say,  to  the  size  of  the  fixed 
stars.  "  I  differ,  as  to  this  matter,  from  Bishop  Lowth." 
— Cobbett.     Different  to   is  heard    sometimes    instead   of 


72  THE    VERBALIST. 

different  from,  but  it  is  nowhere  sanctioned  by  good 
usage. 

"  I  regret  to  differ  from  some  of  my  friends  in  Birming- 
ham on  this  difficult  question." — John  Bright. 

Directly.  The  Britons  have  a  way  of  using  this  word 
in  the  sense  of  when,  as  soon  as.  This  is  quite  foreign  to 
its  true  meaning,  which  is,  immediately,  at  once,  straight- 
way. They  say,  for  example,  "Directly  he  reached  the 
city  he  went  to  his  brother's." 

"  Directly  he  [the  saint]  was  dead  the  Arabs  sent  his 
woolen  shirt  to  the  sovereign." — London  News. 

"  Directly  he  entered,"  says  a  recent  English  writer,  for 
"  as  soon  as  he  entered  "  ;  "  immediately  N.'s  arrival  was 
heard  of,"  for  "  as  soon  as  N.'s  arrival  was  heard  of,"  and 
similar  phrases,  are  not  good  English. 

Dr.  Hall  says  of  its  use  in  the  sense  of  as  soon  as : 
"  But,  after  all,  it  may  simply  anticipate  on  the  English 
of  the  future." 

Dirt.  This  word  means  filth,  or  anything  that  renders 
foul  and  unclean,  and  means  nothing  else.  It  is  often  im- 
properly used  for  earth  or  loam,  and  sometimes  even  for 
sand  or  gravel.  We  not  unfrequently  hear  of  a  dirt  road 
when  an  unpaved  road  is  meant. 

"Dirt,"  says  an  English  writer,  "is  nearly  always  used 
by  Americans  in  cases  where  earth  is  the  correct  word. 
'  Matter  in  the  wrong  place '  is  Lord  Palmerston's  de- 
scription of  dirt,  and  a  capital  definition  it  is.  Thus,  a 
drop  of  fruit-juice  in  a  spoon  is  not  dirt ;  but  spill  it 
on  your  shirt-front,  waistcoat,  or  trousers,  and  it  is 
dirt.  So,  too,  clay,  sand,  dust,  or  gravel,  distributed 
over  one's  clothes  and  down  one's  back  by  the  pre- 
vailing March  wind,  is  properly  called  dirt  ;  but  it  is 
casting    an     imputation    on    the   wisdom    of    the    Creator 


THE    VERBALIST. 


73 


to  say  that  he  has  made  our  beautiful  earth  entirely  out 
of  dirt." 

Disagree.  "  In  your  report  this  morning,  ...  it  is 
stated  that  Mr.  Gladstone  used  the  expression  '  disagreed 
from,'  and  Mr.  Disraeli  that  of  '  disagreed  to,'  .  .  .  and 
that  the  amendment  was  '  disagreed  from.'  In  proposing 
the  rejection,  .  .  .  Mr.  Gladstone  adopted  the  expression 
'disagreed  with,'  which  is  in  common  use." — London 
Times. 

"  Usually  followed  by  with,  sometimes  by  to,  rarely  by 
from." — Webster. 

Discommode.  This  word  is  rarely  used ;  incommode 
is  accounted  the  better  form. 

Disposition.  This  word  is  sometimes  very  improperly 
used  for  disposal.  We  place  things  at  the  disposal,  not  at 
the  disposition,  of  others. 

Disremember.  This  is  a  word  vulgarly  used  in  the 
sense  of  forget.  It  is  said  to  be  more  frequently  heard  in 
the  South  than  in  the  North. 

Distinguish.  This  verb  is  sometimes  improperly  used 
for  discriminate.  We  distinguish  by  means  of  the  senses 
as  well  as  of  the  understanding  ;  we  discriminate  by  means 
of  the  understanding  only.  "  It  is  difficult,  in  some  cases, 
to  distinguish  between,"  etc.,  should  be,  "  It  is  difficult,  in 
some  cases,  to  discriminate  between"  etc.  We  distinguish 
one  thing  from  another,  and  discriminate  between  two  or 
more  things. 

Divers — Diverse.  Careless  speakers  sometimes  err  in 
using  these  words.     Divers  means  several,  sundry,  various. 

"  In  the  frame  and  constitution  of  the  ecclesiastical 
polity  there  are  divers  ranks  and  degrees." 

Diverse  means  unlike,  different ;  as,  "  Opinions  on  the 
subject  are  very  diverse."     Divers  is  not  much  used. 
6 


74 


THE    VERBALIST. 


Dock — Wharf.  The  first  of  these  words  is  often  im- 
properly used  for  the  second.  Of  docks  there  are  several 
kinds.  A  naval  dock  is  a  place  for  the  keeping  of  naval  stores, 
timber,  and  materials  for  shipbuilding.  A  dry  dock  is  a  place 
where  vessels  are  drawn  out  of  the  water  for  repairs.  A  wet 
dock  is  a  place  where  vessels  are  kept  afloat  at  a  certain 
level  while  they  are  being  loaded  or  unloaded.  A  sectional 
dock  is  a  contrivance  for  raising  vessels  out  of  the  water  on 
a  series  of  air-tight  boxes. 

A  dock,  then,  is  a  place  into  which  things  are  received  ; 
hence,  a  man  might  fall  into  a  dock,  but  could  no  more  fall 
off  a  dock  than  he  could  fall  off  a  hole.  A  wharf  is  a  sort 
of  quay  built  by  the  side  of  the  water.  A  similar  structure 
built  at  a  right  angle  with  the  shore  is  commonly  called  a 
pier.     Vessels  lie  at  wharves  and  piers,  not  at  docks. 

Donate.  This  word,  which  is  defined  as  meaning  to 
give,  to  contribute,  is  looked  upon  by  most  champions  of 
good  English  as  being  an  abomination.  Donation  is  also 
little  used  by  careful  writers.  "Donate,"  says  Mr.  Gould, 
"  may  be  dismissed  with  this  remark  :  so  long  as  its  place 
is  occupied  by  give,  bestow,  grant,  present,  etc.,  it  is  not 
needed  ;  and  it  should  be  unceremoniously  bowed  out,  or 
thrust  out,  of  the  seat  into  which  it  has  temporarily  in- 
truded." 

The  word  is  a  good  deal  used  by  persons  that  are  not 
careful  in  their  speech,  and  it  is  quite  possible  that  it  will 
never  be  less  used  than  it  is  now. 

Done.  This  past  participle  is  often  very  inelegantly,  if 
not  improperly,  used  thus  :  "  He  did  not  cry  out,  as  some 
have  done,  against  it,"  which  should  read,  "  He  did  not  cry 
out,  as  some  have,  against  it " — i.  e.,  "  as  some  have  cried  out 
against  it." 

"  Done  is  frequently  a  very  great  offender  against  gram- 


THE    VERBALIST.  75 

mar,"  says  Cobbett.  "  To  do  is  the  act  of  doing.  We  see 
people  write,  '  I  did  not  speak  yesterday  so  well  as  I  wished 
[to  speak]  to  have  done.'  Now,  what  is  meant  by  the  writer  ? 
He  means  to  say  that  he  did  not  speak  so  well  as  he  then 
•wished,  or  was  wishing,  to  speak.  Therefore  the  sentence 
should  be,  '  I  did  not  speak  yesterday  so  well  as  I  wished 
to  do  [to  speak].'  That  is  to  say,  4  so  well  as  I  wished  to 
do  it ' ;  that  is  to  say,  to  do  or  to  perform  the  act  of 
speaking. 

"Take  great  care  not  to  be  too  free  in  your  use  of  the 
verb  to  do  in  any  of  its  times  or  modes.  It  is  a  nice  little 
handy  word,  and,  like  our  oppressed  it,  it  is  made  use  of 
very  often  when  the  writer  is  at  a  loss  for  what  to  put  down. 
To  do  is  to  act,  and  therefore  it  never  can,  in  any  of  its 
parts,  supply  the  place  of  a  neuter  verb.  '  How  do  you 
do?'  Here  do  refers  to  the  state,  and  is  essentially  pas- 
sive or  neuter.  Yet,  to  employ  it  for  this  purpose  is  very 
common.  Dr.  Blair,  in  his  twenty-third  Lecture,  says  :  '  It 
is  somewhat  unfortunate  that  this  number  of  the  Spectator 
did  not  end,  as  it  might  have  done,  with  the  former  beautiful 
period.'  That  is  to  say,  done  it.  And  then  we  ask,  Done 
what  ?  Not  the  act  of  ending,  because  in  this  case  there 
is  no  action  at  all.  The  verb  means,  to  come  to  an  end,  to 
cease,  not  to  go  any  further.  This  same  verb  to  end  is 
sometimes  an  active  verb  :  '  I  end  my  sentence  ' ;  then  the 
verb  to  do  may  supply  its  place  ;  as,  'I  have  not  ended  my 
sentence  so  well  as  I  might  have  done  [ended  it]  ' ;  that  is, 
done  it;  that  is,  done,  or  performed,  the  act  of  ending. 
But  the  number  of  the  Spectator  was  no  actor;  it  was  ex- 
pected to  perform  nothing  ;  it  was,  by  the  doctor,  wished 
to  have  ceased  to  proceed.  '  Did  not  end  as  it  very  well 
might  have  ended.  .  .  .'  This  would  have  been  correct, 
but  the  doctor  wished  to  avoid  the  repetition,  and  thus  he 


76 


THE    VERBALIST. 


fell  into  bad  grammar.  '  Mr.  Speaker,  I  do  not  feel  so  well 
satisfied  as  I  should  have  done  [felt]  if  the  Right  Honorable 
Gentleman  had  explained  the  matter  more  fully.'  To  feel 
satisfied  is — when  the  satisfaction  is  to  arise  from  convic- 
tion produced  by  fact  or  reasoning — a  senseless  expression  ; 
and  to  supply  its  place  when  it  is,  as  in  this  case,  a  neuter 
verb,  by  to  do,  is  as  senseless.  Done  what  ?  Done  the  act 
of  feeli}ig !  '  I  do  not  feel  so  well  satisfied  as  I  should  have 
done,  or  executed,  or  performed  the  act  of  feeling ' !  What 
incomprehensible  words  ! " 

Don't.  Everybody  knows  that  don't  is  a  contraction  of 
do  not,  and  that  doesn't  is  a  contraction  of  does  not ;  and  yet 
nearly  everybody  is  guilty  of  using  don't  when  he  should 
use  doesn't.  "  So  you  don't  go.  John  doesn't  either,  I  hear," 
and  not,  "  John  don't  either,  I  hear." 

Double  Genitive.  An  anecdote  of  Mr.  Lincoln — an 
anecdote  of  Mr.  Lincoln's.  We  see  at  a  glance  that  these 
two  phrases  are  very  different  in  meaning.  So,  also,  a  por- 
trait of  Brown — a  portrait  of  Brown's.  No  precise  rule  has 
ever  been  given  to  guide  us  in  our  choice  between  these 
two  forms  of  the  possessive  case.  Sometimes  it  is  not  ma- 
terial which  form  is  employed  ;  where,  however,  it  is  mate- 
rial— and  it  commonly  is — we  must  consider  the  thought 
we  wish  to  express,  and  rely  on  our  discrimination. 

Doubt  but.     See  But. 

Dramatize.     See  Adapt. 

Drank.  Imperfect  of  drink,  but  often  incorrectly  used 
instead  of  the  participle,  drunk  ;  as,  "  I  never  have  drank 
[drunk]  any."  We  say  properly,  "  I  have  neither  eaten  nor 
drunk  anything  to-day." 

Drawing-room.     See  Parlor. 

Dress — Gown.  Within  the  memory  of  many  persons 
the  outer  garment  worn  by  women  was  properly  called  a 


THE    VERBALIST.  77 

poion  by  everybody,  instead  of  being  improperly  called  a 
dress,  as  it  now  is  by  nearly  everybody. 

Drive.     See  Ride. 

Due— Owing.  These  two  words,  though  close  syno- 
nyms, should  not  be  used  indiscriminately.  The  mistake 
usually  made  is  in  using  due  instead  of  owing.  That  is  due 
that  ought  to  be  paid  as  a  debt ;  that  is  owing  that  is  the 
outcome  of  something  else.  "  It  was  owing  to  his  exertions 
that  the  scheme  succeeded."  "  It  was  owing  to  your  negli- 
gence that  the  accident  happened."  "  A  certain  respect  is 
due  to  men's  prejudices."  "  This  was  owing  to  an  indiffer- 
ence to  the  pleasures  of  life."  "  It  is  due  to  the  public  that 
I  should  tell  all  I  know  of  the  matter." 

Each  other.  "  Their  great  authors  address  themselves 
not  to  their  country,  but  to  each  other." — Buckle.  Each 
other  is  properly  applied  to  two  only  ;  one  another  must  be 
used  when  the  number  considered  exceeds  two.  Buckle 
should  have  written  one  another,  and  not  each  other,  unless 
he  meant  to  intimate  that  the  Germans  had  only  two  great 
authors,  which  is  not  probable. 

Eat.  Grammarians  differ  very  widely  with  regard  to 
the  conjugation  of  this  verb  ;  there  is  no  doubt,  however, 
that  from  every  point  of  view  the  preferable  forms  for  the 
preterite  and  past  participle  are  respectively  ate  and  eaten. 
To  refined  ears  the  other  forms  smack  of  vulgarity,  although 
supported  by  good  authority.  "  I  ate  an  apple."  "  I  have 
eaten  dinner."  "  John  ate  supper  with  me."  "  As  soon  as 
you  have  eaten  breakfast  we  will  set  out." 

Editorial.  The  use  of  this  adjective  as  a  substantive 
is  said  to  be  an  Americanism. 

Effect — Affect.  These  verbs,  alike  as  they  are  to  the 
eye  and  to  the  ear,  are  quite  unlike  in  meaning.  Effect 
means  to  bring  about ;  as,   "  To  effect  a  reform."     Affect 


7S 


THE    VERBALIST. 


means  to  influence ;  as,  "  His  ideas  will  affect  the  character 
of  the  reform."     For  other  meanings  see  a  dictionary. 

Effluvium.  The  plural  of  this  word  is  effluvia.  It  is 
a  common  error  with  those  that  have  no  knowledge  of  Latin 
to  speak  of  "  a  disagreeable  effluvia,"  which  is  as  incorrect 
as  it  would  be  to  talk  about  "  a  disagreeable  vapors."  And 
then,  as  effluvium  means  noxious  exhalation,  it  is  tauto- 
logical to  qualify  the  word  with  the  adjective  disagreeable. 
The  ultrapurist  would  avoid  using  the  word  at  all. 

Effort  without  Effect.  "  Some  writers  deal  in  exple- 
tives to  a  degree  that  tires  the  ear  and  offends  the  under- 
standing. With  them  everything  is  excessively,  ox  immense- 
ly, or  extremely,  or  vastly,  or  surprisingly,  or  wonderfully,  or 
abundantly,  or  the  like.  The  notion  of  such  writers  is  that 
these  words  give  strength  to  what  they  are  saying.  This  is 
a  great  error.  Strength  must  be  found  in  the  thought,  or 
it  will  never  be  found  in  the  words.  Big-sounding  words, 
without  thoughts  corresponding,  are  effort  without  effect." 
— William  Cobbett.     See  Forcible-feeble. 

Either.  This  word  means,  strictly,  the  one  or  the  other 
of  two.  Unlike  both,  which  means  two  taken  collectively, 
cither,  like  each,  may  mean  tzvo  considered  separately ;  but 
in  this  sense  each  is  the  better  word  to  use.  "  Give  me 
either  of  them  "  means,  give  me  the  one  or  the  other  of  two. 
"  He  has  a  farm  on  either  side  of  the  river"  would  mean 
that  he  has  two  farms,  one  on  each  (or  either)  side  of  the 
river.  "  He  has  a  farm  on  both  sides  of  the  river  "  would 
mean  that  his  farm  lies  partly  on  the  one  side  of  the  river 
and  partly  on  the  other.  The  use  of  either  in  the  sense  of 
each,  though  biblical  and  defensible,  may  be  accounted  lit- 
tle if  any  better  than  an  affectation.  "  There  is  a  window 
at  either  end  of  the  room."  No ;  there  is  a  window  at  each 
end  of  the  room. 


THE    VERBALIST. 


79 


Neither  is  the  negative  of  either.  Either  is  responded 
to  by  or,  neither  by  nor;  as,  "either  this  or  that,"  "  neither 
th's  nor  that."  Either  and  neither  should  not,  strictly,  be 
used  in  relation  to  more  than  two  objects.  But  though 
both  either  and  neither  are  strictly  applicable  to  two  only, 
they  have  been  for  a  very  long  time  used  in  relation  to 
more  than  two  by  many  good  writers  ;  and  as  it  is  often 
convenient  so  to  use  them,  it  seems  probable  that  the 
custom  will  prevail.  When  more  than  two  things  are  re- 
ferred to,  any  and  none  should  be  used,  instead  of  either 
and  neither;  as,  "any  of  the  three,"  not  "either  of  the 
three";  "no  one  of  the  four,"  not  "neither  of  the 
four." 

"  By  the  almost  universal  consent  [correctly,  in  the  al- 
most universal  opinion~\  of  grammarians,"  says  Dr.  Hodg- 
son, "either,  as  a  distributive  adjective,  always  retains  the 
notion  [idea]  of  duality  ;  any  one,  therefore,  should  take 
its  place  in  the  following  sentences: 

"  '  I  should  think  myself  happy  if  I  could  be  admitted 
into  your  service  as  house  steward,  clerk,  butler,  or  bailiff, 
for  either  of  which  places  I  think  myself  well  qualified.' 

"  '  There  have  been  three  famous  talkers  in  Great  Britain, 
either  of  whom  would  illustrate  what  I  say  about  dogma- 
tists.' 

"  Concerning  the  usage  [use]  of  either  and  neither  as  con- 
junctions," says  Hodgson,  "  it  seems  to  be  generally  conceded 
that  these  words,  although  originally  contemplating  no  more 
than  duality,  may  be  freely  extended  to  any  number  of  ob- 
jects, as  in  : 

"  '  As  for  Baynard,  neither  his  own  good  sense,  nor  the 
dread  of  indigence,  nor  the  consideration  of  his  children, 
has  been  of  force  sufficient  to  stimulate  him,' "  etc. 

On  the  use  of  either  instead  of  each,  a  correspondent 


SO  THE    VERBALIST. 

of  the  Birmingham  Daily  Press,  in  a  letter  quoted  by  Di 
Hodgson,  says  : 

"  Either  refers  to  one  of  two  things  ;  each  to  two  things 
taken  severally.  One  chair  I  may  place  on  either  side  ot 
the  table  I  please.  If  I  have  two  chairs,  I  may  place  one 
on  each  side  of  the  table.  Yet  we  continually  see  such 
phrases  as,  '  cither  side  of  the  street  was  lined  with  police ' ; 
'  on  either  side  of  the  throne  was  a  chair  of  state  '  ;  '  on  cither 
side  of  her  Majesty  stood,'  etc.  Surely  in  all  these  cases 
the  word  each  should  be  used,  and  not  either" 

Either  alternative.  The  word  alternative  means  a 
choice  offered  between  two  things.  An  alternative  writ, 
for  example,  offers  the  alternative  of  choosing  between  the 
doing  of  a  specified  act  or  of  showing  cause  why  it  is  not 
done.  Such  propositions,  therefore,  as,  "  You  are  at  liberty 
to  choose  either  alternative,"  "  Two  alternatives  are  pre- 
sented to  me,"  "  Several  alternatives  presented  themselves," 
and  the  like,  are  not  correct  English.  The  word  is  cor- 
rectly used  thus : 

"I  am  confronted  with  a  hard  alternative:  I  must 
either  denounce  a  friend  or  betray  my  trust." 

"  I  was  driven  to  the  alternative  of  either  surrendering 
the  Union,  and  with  it  the  Constitution,  or  of  laying  strong 
hands  upon  the  colored  element." — Lincoln. 

"  It  was  a  fearful  alternative  which  [that]  was  presented 
before  them.  There  was  starvation  on  the  one  hand,  and 
the  union,  with  all  its  miseries,  on  the  other.  They  fled, 
as  Nature  dictated  to  them,  from  the  one,  and  consented 
to  take  refuge  in  the  other." — John  Bright.  See  Alterna- 
tive. 

Elder.     See  Older. 

Electricute.  Professor  March  says  that  this  is  the  cor- 
rect form  for  this  word. 


THE    VERBALIST.  8 1 

Elegant.  Professor  Froctor  says  :  "  If  you  say  to  an 
American,  '  This  is  a  fine  morning,'  he  is  likely  to  reply, 
'  It  is  an  elegant  morning,'  or  perhaps  oftener  by  using  sim- 
ply the  word  elegant.  This  is  not  a  pleasing  use  of  the 
word."  This  is  not  American  English,  professor,  but  pop- 
injay English.  In  fact,  careful  speakers  in  America  use 
trie  word  elegant  but  rarely. 

Eliminate.  This  word,  which  means  to  put  out,  to 
exclude,  is  sometimes  erroneously  used  in  the  sense  of  elicit, 
attain,  elucidate,  separate,  rid,  elaborate,  distinguish,  alienate, 
and  so  on. 

"  Mr.  Horsman's  '  first  proposal  is  to  eliminate  the  bish- 
ops.' If  ever  any  one  skilled  in  the  [use  of  the]  English 
language  is  destined  to  die  of  a  word  in  philologic  pain, 
that  dreadful  word  eliminate  will  be  the  death  of  some  of 
us.  If  Mr.  Horsman  meant  to  say  that  he  wanted  to 
banish,  to  get  rid  of,  to  expel  the  bishops,  why  didn't  he 
say  so  ?  He  does  not  want  to  eliminate  them,  but  to  turn 
them  out ;  and  to  turn  them  out  is  easier  to  understand 
than  to  eliminate." — Saturday  Review. 

Here  are  some  examples  of  the  correct  use  of  eliminate : 

"  Culture,  in  [omit]  so  far  as  it  affects  the  relation  of  the 
mind  to  the  objects  of  thought,  may  be  said  to  consist  in 
the  continual  elimination  of  the  accidental  from  the  neces- 
sary." 

"The  preparatory  step  of  the  discussion  was  an  elimi- 
nation of  these  less  precise  and  [less]  appropriate  significa- 
tions, which,  as  they  could  at  best  only  afford  [afford  only] 
a  remote  genus  and  difference,  were  wholly  incompetent 
for  the  purpose  of  a  definition." 

"  Eliminating  the  cases  of  insanity  and  sudden  passion, 
we  find  an  immense  mass  [a  great  number]  of  deliberate 
suicides." 


£2  THE    VERBALIST. 

"  The  salts  and  compounds  of  urea  are  eliminated  hy 
other  surfaces  than  those  of  the  kidneys." 

"Of  course,  what  I  blamed  is  wholly  eliminated  [i.  e.. 
thrown  out]." 

"  M.  Comte's  subjective  synthesis  consists  only  in  elimi- 
nating from  the  sciences  everything  that  he  deems  worth- 
less." 

Here  are  some  examples  of  the  incorrect  use  of  elimi- 
nate : 

"  Miss  Bronte  found  it  needful  to  eliminate  [keep  out 
or  exclude]  the  supernatural,  though  she  once  or  twice 
admits  the  preternatural  in  her  pictures."  Dr.  Hodgson 
cites  this,  in  his  Errors  in  the  Use  of  English  (Eng- 
lish edition),  as  an  example  of  the  correct  use  of  the 
word. 

"  Results  which  [that]  hardly  any  one  could  have 
clearly  anticipated  [foreseen],  and  yet  in  which,  when  once 
eliminated  [obtained  ?],  no  thinker  can  hesitate  to  ac- 
quiesce." Acquiesce  in  results  !!  Worse  writing  than  this 
is  rarely  met  with,  yet  the  sentence  is  from  the  Quarterly 
Review. 

"  To  eliminate  [separate]  the  real  effect  of  art  from  the 
effects  of  the  abuse  with  which  it  was  associated." — Ruskin. 
"  All  we  can  do  is  to  select  the  salient  points  of  the 
work  and  present  them  in  such  juxtaposition  and  contrast 
as  may  seem  to  be  best  adapted  to  the  elimination  [eluci- 
dation] of  their  significance." 

"  Never  before  was  [had  there  been]  so  much  genuine 
poetry  eliminated  by  such  a  process  of  gradual  accumula- 
tion and  repeated  touches."  What  this  means  tell  who 
can. 

■'  His  mission  was  to  eliminate  [rid,  purge]  religion  of 
all  such  kindred  rubbish." 


THE    VERB  A  I.I  ST.  83 

"  It  also  looks  to  the  final  elimination  [separation]  of 
the  soul  from  the  body." 

"  By  such  controversies  truth  is  often  eliminated 
[elicited]." 

"  Whenever  she  spoke  I  involuntarily  listened,  for  I 
felt  sure  that  if  it  were  [was]  on  a  moral  subject  some 
foundation  would  be  cleared  ;  if  it  were  [was]  intellectual, 
some  new  light  would  be  eliminated  "  [thrown  on  it  ?].  One 
of  the  worst  of  bad  sentences.  It  is  so  bad  that  it  can  be 
mended  only  by  rewriting  it :  Whenever  she  spoke  I  in- 
voluntarily listened,  for  if  it  was  a  moral  subject,  I  felt 
sure  that  some  foundation  would  be  cleared  ;  if  an  intel- 
lectual, that  some  light  would  be  thrown  on  it. 

Ellipsis.  The  omission  of  a  word,  or  of  words,  neces- 
sary to  complete  the  grammatical  construction,  but  not 
necessary  to  make  the  meaning  clear,  is  called  an  ellipsis. 
We  almost  always,  whether  in  speaking  or  in  writing,  leave 
out  some  of  the  words  necessary  to  the  full  expression  of 
our  meaning.  For  example,  in  dating  a  letter  to-day,  we 
should  write,  "New  York,  August  25,  1881,"  which  would 
be,  if  fully  written  out,  "  I  am  now  writing  in  the  city  of 
New  York  ;  this  is  the  twenty-fifth  day  of  August,  and  this 
month  is  in  the  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  eighty-first 
year  of  the  Christian  era."  "  I  am  going  to  Wallack's " 
means.  "  I  am  going  to  Wallack's  theater."  "  I  shall 
spend  the  summer  at  my  aunt's";  i.  e.,  at  my  aunt's 
house. 

By  supplying  the  ellipses  we  can  often  discover  the 
errors  in  a  sentence,  if  there  are  any. 

Else.  Followed  by  than,  and  not  by  but.  "  It  is  noth- 
ing else  than  greed."  The  word  is  sometimes  redundant  ; 
as,  "  No  one  else  but  me." 

Embody.      This   is   a  word  that   some  writers   make 


84  THE    VERBALIST. 

great  use  of,  and  frequently  misuse.  Here  is  an  example 
of  its  misuse : 

"  The  plays  that  the  author  has  embodied  in  this 
well-printed  and  illustrated  book  are  those  most  likely 
to  interest  the  young."  If  we  retain  the  construc- 
tion, the  best  way,  perhaps,  to  mend  the  sentence  is 
this :  The  plays  that  the  author  has  given  place  to  in 
this,  etc. 

Emigrant— Immigrant.  These  words  are  not  infre- 
quently confounded.  Persons  going  out  of  a  country  are 
emigrants ;  persons  coming  into  a  country  are  immigrants. 
The  New  York  Commissioners  of  Emigration  are  properly 
Commissioners  of  Immigration. 

Encounter.  Nowadays  this  word  is  commonly  used 
in  the  sense  of  to  meet  in  a  hostile  manner,  to  attack,  to 
engage  with,  to  contend  against.  "  When  knight-errantry 
was  in  vogue  encounters  were  perpetually  [continually] 
taking  place  between  the  knights,  which  were  sometimes 
fierce  and  bloody.  Shakespeare  sometimes  uses  the  word 
in  the  sense  of  meet,  thus  :  "  See,  they  encounter  thee  with 
their  hearts'  thanks."  In  this  sense  the  word  is  used,  or 
rather  misused,  by  an  occasional  writer  now.  Here  is  an 
example : 

"  But  when  in  her  presence,  he  saw  her  only  as  one  of 
the  most  charming  of  her  sex  that  it  had  ever  been  his  good 
fortune  to  encounter." — Hammond. 

Ending  of  sentences.  It  is  a  great,  a  very  great,  mis- 
take to  think  a  sentence  should  never  end  with  a  preposi- 
tion. Sentences  ending  with  prepositions  are  always  more 
terse,  always  quite  as  idiomatic,  and  always  simpler,  than 
they  would  be  if  differently  constructed. 

"The  man  I  gave  it  to,"  not  "The  man  to  whom  I 
gave  it."     "  The  verb  it  belongs  to,"  not  "  The  verb  to 


THE    VERBALIST.  85 

which  it  belongs."  "  The  house  we  live  in,"  not  "  The 
house  in  which  we  live." 

Enjoy  bad  health.  As  no  one  has  ever  been  known 
to  enjoy  bad  health,  it  is  better  to  employ  some  other  form 
of  expression  than  this.  Say,  for  example,  he  is  in  feeble, 
or  delicate,  health. 

Enquire.  This  word  and  its  derivatives  are  now  com- 
monly written  in  instead  of  en.  In  conforms  to  the  Latin  ; 
en  to  the  French. 

Enthuse.  This  is  a  word  that  is  occasionally  heard  in 
conversation,  and  is  sometimes  met  with  in  print,  but  it 
has  not  as  yet  made  its  appearance  in  the  dictionaries. 
What  its  ultimate  fate  will  be,  of  course  no  one  can  tell ; 
for  the  present,  however,  it  is  studiously  shunned  by  those 
that  are  at  all  careful  in  selecting  their  words.  It  is  said 
to  be  most  used  in  the  South.  The  writer  has  never  seen 
it  anywhere  in  the  North  but  in  the  columns  of  the  Boston 
Congregationalist.  The  Standard  Dictionary  (1S95)  has  the 
word,  but  says  it  is  slang. 

Epigram.  "  The  word  epigram  signified  originally  an 
inscription  on  a  monument.  It  next  came  to  mean  a 
short  poem  containing  some  single  thought  pointedly  ex- 
pressed, the  subjects  being  very  various — amatory,  con- 
vivial, moral,  eulogistic,  satirical,  humorous,  etc.  Of  the 
various  devices  for  brevity  and  point  employed  in  such 
compositions,  especially  in  modern  times,  the  most  fre- 
quent is  a  play  upon  words.  ...  In  the  epigram  the 
mind  is  roused  by  a  conflict  or  contradiction  between  the 
form  of  the  language  and  the  meaning  really  conveyed." 
—  Bain. 

Some  examples  are  . 

"  When  you  have  nothing  to  say,  say  it." 

"  We  can  not  see  the  wood  for  the  trees  "  ;  that  is,  we 


86  THE    VERBALIST. 

can  not  get  a  general  view  because  we  are  so  engrossed 
with  the  details. 

"  Verbosity  is  cured  by  a  large  vocabulary  "  ;  that  is,  he 
that  commands  a  large  vocabulary  is  able  to  select  words 
that  will  give  his  meaning  tersely. 

"  By  indignities  men  come  to  dignities." 

"  Some  people  are  too  foolish  to  commit  follies." 

"  Me  went  to  his  imagination  for  his  facts,  and  to  his 
memory  for  his  tropes." 

"  He  that  hath  no  dram  of  folly  in  his  composition 
we  may  be  very  sure  hath  many  pounds  of  much  worse 
matter." 

He  spent  his  life  trying  to  shoot  big  bullets  from  a  small- 
bored  gun. 

It  is  dangerous  to  write  when  one  has  nothing  to  say. 

There  is  but  one  thing  in  this  world  that  is  much  lauded 
and  applauded — reputation. 

To  see  much,  one  must  know  much. 

Epithet.  Many  persons  use  this  word  who  are  in  error 
with  regard  to  its  meaning  ;  they  think  that  to  "  apply  epi- 
thets" to  a  person  is  to  vilify  and  insult  him.  Not  at  all. 
An  epithet  is  a  word  that  expresses  a  quality,  good  or  bad  ; 
a  term  that  expresses  an  attribute. 

Every  adjective  is  an  epitliet,  but  every  epithet  is  not  an 
adjective.  Epithet  is  a  technical  term  of  the  rhetorician  ; 
adjective,  a  technical  term  of  the  grammarian.  In  prose, 
the  epithet  is  often  put  after  the  noun,  as,  Napoleon  the 
Great,  Washington,  the  Father  of  his  Country,  John  tin- 
Baptist,  etc.  A  man's  style  depends  much  on  his  choice  of 
epithets  ;  those  that  use  them  sparingly,  as  a  rule,  are  the 
better  writers. 

Equally  as  well.  A  redundant  form  of  expression,  as 
any  one  will  see  who  fur  a  moment  considers  it.     As  well, 


THE    VERBALIST.  87 

or  equally  well,  expresses  quite  as  much  as  equally  as 
well. 

"  The  Plumed  Knight's  letter  will  contain  about  six  thou- 
sand words.  Perhaps  two  words  would  have  done  equally  as 
well — simply  '  I  accept. '  "  The  as  or  the  equally  should  have 
been  omitted. 

Equanimity  of  mind.  This  phrase  is  tautological,  and 
expresses  no  more  than  does  equanimity  (literally,  "  equal- 
mindedness ")  alone  ;  hence,  of  mind  is  superfluous,  and 
consequently  inelegant.  Anxiety  of  mind  is  a  scarcely  less 
redundant  form  of  expression.  A  capricious  mind  is  in  the 
same  category. 

Erratum.     Plural,  errata. 

Esquire.  An  esquire  was  oiiginally  the  shield-bearer 
of  a  knight.  It  is  much,  and,  in  the  opinion  of  some,  rather 
absurdly,  used  in  this  country.  Mr.  Richard  Grant  White 
says  on  the  subject  of  its  use :  "  I  have  yet  to  discover 
what  a  man  means  when  he  addresses  a  letter  to  John 
Dash,  Esqr.  He  means  no  more  nor  less  than  when  he 
writes  Mr.  (master).  The  use  of  Esq.  is  quite  as  prevalent 
in  England  as  in  America,  and  has  little  more  meaning 
there  than  here.  It  simply  belongs  to  our  stock  of  cour- 
teous epithets. 

Et  cetera.  "  &c,  &c.  is  very  frequently  read  '  and  so 
forth,  and  so  forth '  ;  and,  what  is  worse,  many  people  who 
read  it  properly,  et  cetera,  regard  it  and  use  it  as  a  more 
elegant  equivalent  of  '  and  so  forth ' ;  but  it  is  no  such 
thing.  Et  cetera  is  merely  Latin  for  and  the  rest,  and  is 
propei-ly  used  in  schedules  or  statements  after  an  account 
given  of  particular  things,  to  include  other  things  too  un- 
important and  too  numerous  for  particular  mention.  But 
the  phrase  and  so  forth  has  quite  another  meaning — i  e., 
and  as  before,  so  after,  in  the  same  strain.     It  implies  the 


88  THE    VERBALIST. 

continuation  of  a  story  in  accordance  with  the  beginning." — 
Richard  Grant  White. 

Euphemism.  A  description  that  describes  in  inoffen- 
sive language  that  that  is  of  itself  offensive,  or  a  figure  that 
uses  agreeable  phraseology  when  the  literal  would  be  offen- 
sive, is  called  a  euphemism. 

Everlastingly.  This  adverb  is  misused  in  the  South 
in  a  manner  that  is  very  apt  to  excite  the  risibility  of  one 
to  whom  the  peculiar  misuse  is  new.  The  writer  once 
visited  the  upper  part  of  New  York  with  a  distinguished 
Southern  poet  and  journalist.  It  was  the  gentleman's  first 
ride  over  an  elevated  railway.  When  we  were  fairly  under 
way,  in  admiration  of  the  rate  of  speed  at  which  the  cars 
were  moving,  he  exclaimed,  "  Well,  they  do  just  everlast- 
ingly shoot  along  ! — don't  they?" 

Every.  This  word,  which  means  simply  each  or  all 
taken  separately,  is  of  late  years  frequently  made  by  slip- 
shod speakers  to  do  duty  for  perfect,  entire,  great,  or  all 
possible.  Thus  we  have  such  expressions  as  every  pains, 
every  confidence,  every  praise,  every  charity,  and  so  on. 
We  also  have  such  diction  as,  "Every  one  has  this  in  com- 
mon "  ;  meaning,  all  of  us  have  this  in  common. 

Every-day  Latin.  A  fortiori  :  with  stronger  reason. 
A  posteriori  :  from  the  effect  to  the  cause.  A  priori  :  from 
the  cause  to  the  effect.  Bona  fide  :  in  good  faith  ;  in  real- 
ity. Certiorari  :  to  be  made  more  certain.  Ceteris  paribus  : 
other  circumstances  being  equal.  De  facto  :  in  fact  ;  in 
reality.  De  jure :  in  right  ;  in  law.  Ecce  homo  :  behold 
the  man.  Ergo  :  therefore.  Et  cetera  :  and  the  rest ;  and 
so  on.  Excerpta  :  extracts.  Exempli  gratia  :  by  way  of 
example  ;  abbreviated,  e.  g.  and  ex.  gr.  Ex  officio :  by 
virtue  of  his  office.  Ex  parte  :  on  one  side  ;  an  ex  parte 
statement  is  a  statement  on  one  side  only.     Ibidem  ;  in  the 


THE    VERBALIST.  89 

same  place  ;  abbreviated,  ibid.  Idem  :  the  same.  Id  est ; 
that  is  ;  abbreviated,  i.  e.  Imprimis :  in  the  first  place. 
In  statu  quo  :  in  the  former  state  ;  just  as  it  was.  In  statu 
quo  ante  bellum  :  in  the  same  state  as  before  the  war.  In 
transitu  :  in  passing.  Index  expurgatorius  :  an  expurgated 
index.  In  extremis  :  at  the  point  of  death.  In  memoriam  : 
in  memory.  Ipse  dixit :  on  his  sole  assertion.  Item  :  also. 
Labor  omnia  vincit :  labor  overcomes  every  difficulty.  Locus 
sigilli :  the  place  of  the  seal.  Multum  in  parvo :  much 
in  little.  Mutatis  mutandis  :  after  making  the  necessary 
changes.  Ne  plus  ultra  :  nothing  beyond  ;  the  utmost 
point.  Nolens  volens  :  willing  or  unwilling.  Nota  bene  : 
mark  well  ;  take  particular  notice.  Omues :  all.  O  tem- 
pore, O  mores  !  O  the  times  and  the  manners  !  Otium 
cum  dignitate  :  ease  with  dignity.  Otium  sine  dignitate  : 
ease  without  dignity.  Particeps  criminis  :  an  accomplice. 
Peccavi :  I  have  sinned.  Per  se  :  by  itself.  Prima  facie  : 
on  the  first  view  or  appearance  ;  at  first  sight.  Pro  bono 
publico:  for  the  public  good.  Quid  nunc:  what  now? 
Quid  pro  quo :  one  thing  for  another  ;  an  equivalent. 
Quondam  :  formerly.  Para  avis  :  a  rare  bird  ;  a  prodigy. 
Resurgam  :  I  shall  rise  again.  Seriatim  :  in  order.  Sine 
die  :  without  specifying  any  particular  day  ;  to  an  indefinite 
time.  Sine  qua  non :  an  indispensable  condition.  Sui 
generis :  of  its  own  kind.  Fade  mecum  :  go  with  me. 
Verbatim  :  word  by  word.  Versus  :  against.  Vale  :  fare- 
well. Via  :  by  the  way  of.  Vice  :  in  the  place  of.  Vide  : 
see.  Vi  et  armis  :  by  main  force.  Viva  voce  :  orally  ;  by 
word  of  mouth.  Vox  populi,  vox  Dei  :  the  voice  of  the 
people  is  the  voice  of  God — which  is  very  far  from  being 
true. 

Evidence — Testimony.     These  words,  though  differ- 
ing widely  in  meaning,  are  often  used  indiscriminately  by 
7 


9o 


THE    J  'EKBA  LIS  T. 


careless  speakers.  Evidence  is  that  that  tends  to  convince  ; 
testimony  is  that  that  is  intended  to  convince.  In  a  judi- 
cial investigation,  for  example,  there  might  be  a  great  deal 
of  testimony — a  great  deal  of  testifying — and  very  little  evi- 
dence; and  the  evidence  might  be  quite  the  reverse  of  the 
testimony.     See  Proof. 

Exaggeration.  "  Weak  minds  and  feeble  writers  and 
speakers  delight  in  superlatives."  See  Effort  without 
Effect. 

Except.  Sometimes  misused  for  unless,  and  occasion- 
ally for  but. 

"  No  one  need  apply  except  [unless]  he  is  thoroughly 
familiar  with  the  business." 

"  The  shocking  discovery  has  been  made  that  the 
wreck  of  the  Daniel  Steinmann,  and  the  consequent  loss  of 
over  a  hundred  lives,  would  probably  have  been  prevented 
except  [but]  for  government  red  tape." 

"  The  young  lady  is  never  allowed  to  ride  or  drive  alone 
with  a  gentleman  ;  neither  is  she  allowed  to  walk  upon  [in] 
the  street,  visit  any  friend,  nor  to  attend  a  public  ball,  ex- 
cept [unless]  she  is  accompanied  by  some  member  of  the 
family  or  [by]  a  trusted  lady  friend." — Corr.  Inter-Ocean. 

"  It  has  no  literary  merit,  except  [unless]  the  total 
absence  of  all  pretension  may  pass  for  one."     See  Unless. 

Excessively.  That  class  of  persons  that  are  never 
content  with  any  form  of  expression  that  falls  short  of  the 
superlative,  frequently  use  excessively  when  exceedingly,  or 
even  the  little  word  very,  would  serve  their  turn  better. 
They  say,  for  example,  that  the  weather  is  excessively  hot, 
when  they  should  content  themselves  with  saying  simply 
that  the  weather  is  very  warm,  or,  if  the  word  suits  them 
better,  hot. 

Intemperance  in  the  use  of  language  i;  as  much  to  be 


THE    VERBALIST.  qj 

censured  as  intemperance  in  anything  el.^e  ;  like  intemper- 
ance in  other  things,  its  effect  is  vulgarizing. 

"  The  Princess  Isabella,  as  well  as  her  French  husband, 
Comte  d'Eu,  used  to  be  excessively  [exceedingly]  un- 
popular."— N.  Y.  Sun. 

Excise  laws.  A  good  deal  is  heard  about  our  excise 
laws,  yet  New  York  has  no  excise  laws.  Our  excise  laws, 
so  called,  are  properly  license  laws. 

An  excise  is  a  tax  levied  on  domestic  products  ;  it  is  an 
internal  revenue  tax.  The  tax,  for  example,  that  the 
Federal  Government  levies  on  whisky  and  cigars  is  an 
excise  tax. 

New  York  has  license  laws  and  license  commissioners, 
and  properly  they  should  be  so  called.  Tax-collecting  and 
license-granting  are  very  different  duties. 

"  No  license  for  Macy's.  The  Excise  Board  says  liquor 
can't  [sha'n't]  be  sold  there."— X.  Y.  Sun.  Properly,  the 
License  Board. 

Execute.  This  word  means,  to  follow  out  to  the  end, 
to  carry  into  effect,  to  accomplish,  to  fulfill,  to  perform  ; 
as,  to  execute  an  order,  to  execute  a  purpose.  And  the 
dictionaries  and  almost  universal  usage  say  that  it  also 
means,  to  put  to  death  in  conformity  with  a  judicial  sen- 
tence ;  as,  to  execute  a  criminal.  Some  careful  speakers, 
however,  maintain  that  the  use  of  the  word  in  this  sense 
is  indefensible.  They  say  that  laws  and  sentences  are  exe- 
cuted, but  not  criminals,  and  that  their  execution  only 
rarely  results  in  the  death  of  the  persons  upon  whom  they 
are  executed.  In  the  hanging  of  a  criminal,  it  is,  then,  not 
the  criminal  that  is  executed,  but  the  law  and  the  sentence. 
The  criminal  is  hanged. 

Expect.  This  verb  always  has  reference  to  what  is  to 
come,    never  to  what  is  past.     We  can  not  expect  back- 


Q2  THE    VERBALIST. 

ward.  Instead,  therefore,  of  saying,  "  I  expect  you  thought 
I  would  come  to  see  you  yesterday,"  we  should  say,  "  I 
suppose"  etc. 

Also  sometimes  incorrectly  used  for  suspect.  "  I  expect 
you  know  all  about  it."     As,  "  I  suspect  you  know,"  etc. 

Experience.  "We  experience  great  difficulty  in  get- 
ting him  to  take  his  medicine."  The  word  have  should  be 
big  enough,  in  a  sentence  like  this,  for  anybody.  "  We 
experienced  great  hardships."     Better,  "We  suffered'' 

Experiment.     See  Try. 

Explode.  "  Ail  our  present  uses  of  explode,  whether 
literal  or  figurative,  have  reference  to  bursting,  and  to 
bursting  with  noise ;  and  it  is  for  the  most  part  forgotten, 
I  should  imagine,  that  these  are  all  secondary  and  derived  ; 
that  to  explode,  originally  an  active  verb,  means,  to  drive  off 
the  stage  with  loud  clapping  of  the  hands  ;  and  that  when 
one  of  our  early  writers  speaks  of  an  exploded  heresy  or  an 
exploded  opinion,  his  image  is  not  drawn  from  something 
which  [that],  having  burst,  has  perished  so  ;  but  he  would 
imply  that  it  has  been  contemptuously  driven  off  from  the 
world's  stage." — Trench. 

Extend.  This  verb,  the  primary  meaning  of  which  is 
to  stretch  out,  is  used,  especially  by  lovers  of  big  words,  in 
connections  where  to  give,  to  show,  or  to  offer  would  be 
preferable.  For  example,  it  is  certainly  better  to  say, 
"  They  showed  me  every  courtesy,"  than  "  They  extended 
every  courtesy  to  me."     See  Every. 

Fall.  The  use  of  this  word,  in  the  sense  of  autumn,  is 
rare  in  Great  Britain,  and  is  there  regarded  as  provincial. 
It  is  good  old  English  nevertheless. 

False  Grammar.  Some  examples  of  false  grammar 
will  show  what  every  one  is  the  better  for  knowing:  that, 
in  literature,  nothing  should  be  taken  on  trust ;  that  errors 


THE    VERBALIST. 


93 


of  grammar,  even,  are  found  where  we  should  least  expect 
them.  "  I  do  not  know  whether  the  imputation  were  just 
or  not." — Emerson.  "I  proceeded  to  inquire  if  the  'ex- 
tract'  .  .  .  were  a  veritable  quotation." — Emerson.  Should 
be  was  in  both  cases.  "  How  sweet  the  moonlight  sleeps  !  " 
— Townsend,  Art  of  Speech,  vol.  i,  p.  114.  Prof.  Town- 
send  cites  this  as  a  grammatically  correct — though  seem- 
ingly incorrect — use  of  the  adjective.  Poetic  license  makes 
such  a  use  of  the  adjective  permissible  in  verse,  but  it  is 
not  grammatical.  It  is  no  better  grammar  to  say  "  the 
moonlight  sleeps  s-ueet"  than  it  is  to  say  "  the  baby  sleeps 
sweet"  "  There  is  no  question  but  these  arts  .  .  .  will 
greatly  aid  him,"  etc. — Ibid.,  p.  130.  Should  be  that. 
"  Nearly  all  who  have  been  distinguished  in  literature  or 
oratory  have  made  .  .  .  the  generous  confession  that  their 
attainments  have  been  reached  through  patient  and  labori- 
ous industry.  They  have  declared  that  speaking  and  writ- 
ing, though  once  difficult  for  them,  have  become  well-nigh 
recreations." — Ibid.,  p.  143.  The  have  been  should  be  were, 
and  the  have  become  should  be  became.  "  Many  pronominal 
adverbs  are  correlatives  of  each  other." — Harkness's  New 
Latin  Grammar,  p.  147.  Should  be  one  another.  "  How 
much  better  for  you  as  seller  and  the  nation  as  buyer  .  .  . 
than  to  sink  .  .  .  in  cutting  one  another' s  throats."  Should 
be  each  other  s. 

"A  minister  noted  for  prolixity  of  style  was  once 
preaching  before  the  inmates  of  a  lunatic  asylum.  In  one 
of  his  illustrations  he  painted  a  scene  of  a  man  condemned 
to  he  hung,  but  reprieved  under  the  gallows."  These  two 
sentences  are  so  faulty  that  the  only  way  to  mend  them  is 
to  rewrite  them.  They  are  from  a  work  that  professes  to 
teach  the  "  art  of  speech."  Mended  :  "  A  minister  noted 
for  his   prolixity  once  preached  before   the  inmates  of  a 


94 


THE    VERBALIST. 


lunatic  asylum.  By  way  of  illustration,  he  painted  a  scene 
in  which  a  man,  who  had  been  condemned  to  be  hanged, 
7(<as  reprieved  under  the  gallows." 

"  '  I  never  saw  [have  seen]  you  looking  in  better  health,' 
remarked  a  Journal  reporter." 

"  Further,  I  never  [have]  made  a  loan  or  pledged  [nor 
have  I  pledged]  any  of  these  stocks.  I  never  [have]  bought 
stocks  on  a  margin,  or  [nor  have  I]  pledged  bonds  or  stocks 
in  payment.  I  have  always  bought  for  investment — not 
speculation." 

"  The  late  Mr.  Fountaine  .  .  .  7vas  said  to  have  been 
[was  said  to  be,  or,  is  said  to  have  been]  a  deadly  foe  to 
foxes,  and  it  is  averred  [said]  that  his  keepers  made  them 
scarce,"  etc. — Vanity  Fair. 

"  In  consequence  of  the  inquiry  into  the  conspiracy  at 
Warsaw,  it  has  been  arranged  that  the  Czar  will  [shall] 
arrive  at  Fortress  Modlin,  outside  of  Warsaw." 

"  The  climate  of  Pau  is  perhaps  the  most  [more]  genial, 
and  the  best  [better]  suited  to  invalids  [than  that]  of  any 
other  spot  in  France." 

"  The  giving  [of]  the  bride  away  is  also  criticised." — 
N.  Y.  Sun. 

"  All  persons  are  forbid  [forbidden]  walking  [to  walk] 
or  driving  [to  drive]  through  this  tunnel." — Fourth  Avenue 
Railroad. 

"If  there  ever  were  [has  been]  a  case  for  a  peaceful 
settlement  of  an  international  dispute,  the  Venezuelan- 
Guiana  case  is  certainly  one." — N.  Y.  Sun. 

"  If  he  were  [was]  indeed  intriguing,  it  is  not  surprising 
that  he  was  treated  as  an  intriguer  rather  than  as  a  consul." 
— N.  Y.  Sun. 

"  Raikes  once  asked  Montrond  if  it  were  [was]  true  that," 
etc. — Argonaut. 


THE    VERBALIST.  95 

"  It  is  such  an  exhibition  of  the  French  art  of  this 
century  as  was  never  seen  [never  before  has  been  seen] 
even  in  France."— N.  Y.  Sun. 

Family.  In  Great  Britain,  a  man  of  family  is  a  man 
well  connected;  in  America,  a  man  of  family  is  a  man 
having  a  wife  and  children. 

Farther — Further.  "  I  will  go  no  farther."  "  I  have 
nothing  further  to  say."  "  He  lives  farther  away  than  I 
do."     "We  will  not  discuss  the  matter  further. " 

Female.  Often  used  when  woman  is  the  word  that 
good  taste,  as  well  as  correctness,  demands.  Why  should 
woman,  any  more  than  man,  be  confounded  with  the  lower 
animals  of  the  same  sex  ?  The  following  are  examples  of 
the  incorrect  use  of  the  word  : 

"  He  did  not  bid  him  go  and  sell  himself  to  the  first 
female  he  could  find  possessed  of  wealth." 

"  With  the  repugnance  not  unnatural  to  a  female"  etc. 

Fetch.     See  Bring. 

Fewer.     See  Less. 

Final  Completion.  If  there  were  such  a  thing  as  a 
plurality  or  a  series  of  completions,  there  would,  of  course, 
be  such  a  thing  as  the  final  completion  ;  but  as  every  com- 
pletion is  final,  to  talk  about  a  final  completion  is  as  absurd 
as  it  would  be  to  talk  about  a  final  finality. 

Financial.  Often,  very  often,  used  when  the  proper 
word  is  pecuniary,  monetary,  or  money. 

"  Instead  of  the  burden  of  financial  [pecuniary]  obliga- 
tions being  from  him  to  Woolston,  the  fact  is  quite  the  re- 
verse."— A  New  York  Daily. 

Financial  is  used  properly  of  the  public  funds  or  reve- 
nues of  a  state,  and  of  the  governmental  system  of  raising 
and  disbursing  the  same.  Pecuniary  or  monetary  has  refer- 
ence to  individual  enterprises,  and  of  the  money  relations 


96  the  verbalist. 

we  may  have  with  one  another.  For  instance,  we  say  the 
financial  system  of  Great  Britain  ;  the  affair  or  undertak- 
ing was  a  pecuniary  success  ;  the  monetary  or  money  rela- 
tions between  the  two  firms. 

"  The  difference  between  the  value  of  the  services  of  a 
sober  man  and  of  a  sot  illustrates  the  financial  [money  or 
pecuniary]  loss  to  the  State  from  the  liquor  traffic." 

"  She  said  he  had  given  them  no  financial  [pecuniary] 
assistance  for  several  weeks." 

"  To  charge  or  burden  with  financial  [pecuniary]  obli- 
gations." 

"  Buffalo's  meeting  likely  to  result  in  a  heavy  financial 
[pecuniary]  loss." — N.  Y.  Sun. 

Find.  Often  very  incorrectly  used  in  the  sense  of  sup- 
ply or  furnish  ;  thus,  "  I  thought  the  corporation  found 
everything." 

Fire.  This  verb  is  much  and  very  vulgarly  used  of 
late  years  in  conversation,  and  sometimes  in  the  news- 
papers, for  to  throw  ;  thus, 

"  She  saw  John  Trainor,  a  boy,  in  the  act  of  firing 
[throwing]  another  potato." 

"You  all  know  of  that  philosopher  who  taught  that 
everything  was  [is]  unreal  and  a  dream,  and  when  a  stone 
was  fired  [thrown]  at  him  dodged  the  missile."  Vulgar, 
very,  though  it  is  sanctioned  by  the  learned  and  eloquent 
Monsignor  Capel.  See  San  Francisco  Chronicle,  June  26, 
1885: 

"  Fire.  When  hand  firearms  came  into  use,  and  very 
slowly  superseded  the  bow,  the  musketeer  carried  a  lighted 
match,  and  the  word  of  command  was,  'Give  fire  I' — that 
is,  put  fire  to  the  powder.  This  was  soon  naturally  ab- 
breviated to  'fire.'  Hence  fire  came  to  be  used,  pardon- 
ably as  to  arms,  for  shoot," 


THE    VERBALIST.  97 

First.  We  say,  properly,  the  first  two,  the  first  three, 
etc.,  as  in  the  same  series  there  can  be  but  one  first  and 
one  last ;  hence  tivo  first  is  incorrect. 

The  two  first,  however,  is  quite  correct  when  each  of 
the  two  meant  is  at  the  head  of  a  series. 

First  is  sometimes  used  superfluously  :  as,  "  You  must 
first  be  a  member  before  you  can  attend." 

Firstly.  George  Washington  Moon  says  in  defense  of 
firstly  :  "  I  do  not  object  to  the  occasional  use  of  first  as 
an  adverb  ;  but  in  sentences  where  it  would  be  followed  by 
secondly,  thirdly,  etc.,  I  think  that  the  adverbial  form  is  pref- 
erable." To  this,  one  of  Mr.  Moon's  critics  replies  :  "  How- 
ever desirable  it  may  be  to  employ  the  word  firstly  on  cer- 
tain occasions,  the  fact  remains  that  the  employment 
[employing,  or,  better,  to  employ]  of  it  on  any  occasion  is 
not  the  best  usage."  Webster  inserts  firstly,  but  remarks, 
"  Improperly  used  {ox  first." 

Firstly,  when  followed  by  secondly,  thirdly,  etc.,  is  cer- 
tainly more  euphonious. 

First-rate.  There  are  people  that  object  to  this  phrase, 
and  yet  it  is  well  enough  when  properly  placed,  as  it  is,  for 
example,  in  such  a  sentence  as  this  :  "  He's  a  '  first-class' 
fellow,  and  I  like  him  first-rate.  If  I  didn't,  '  you  bet '  I'd 
just  give  him  '  hail  Columbia '  for  '  blowing  '  the  thing  all 
round  town  like  the  dizzy  chump  that  he  is." 

Fix.  Improperly  used  in  the  sense  of  arrange ;  as, 
"I  must  fix  the  furniture."  "Who fixed  the  books  on 
these  shelves?"  Vulgarly  used  thus:  "I  will  fix  him." 
"  The  jury  was  fixed."  "  You  must  fix  up,  if  you  go." 
"  Your  affairs  are  in  a  bad  fix  [condition  "]. 

"  Fix  may  be  safely  called  the  American  word  of  words, 
since  there  is  probably  no  action  whatever,  performed  by 
mind  or  body,  which   [that]   is  not  represented  at  some 


9§ 


THE    VERB  A  LI  ST. 


time  or  other  by  this  universal  term.  It  has  well  been 
called  the  strongest  evidence  of  that  natural  indolence 
which  [that]  avoids  the  trouble  of  careful  thought  at  all 
hazards,  and  [of]  that  restless  hurry  which  [that]  ever 
makes  the  word  welcome  that  comes  up  first  and  saves 
time.  Whatever  is  to  be  made,  whatever  needs  repair, 
whatever  requires  arrangement — all  is  fixed.  The  farmer 
fixes  his  gates,  the  mechanic  his  work-bench,  the  seamstress 
her  sewing  machine,  the  fine  lady  her  hair,  and  the  school- 
boy his  rales.  At  a  public  meeting,  it  is  fixed  who  are 
to  be  the  candidates  for  office,  rules  are  fixed  to  govern 
an  institution,  and  when  all  arrangements  have  been  made 
the  people  contentedly  say :  Now  everything  is  nicely 
fixed." 

Flee — Fly.  These  verbs,  though  near  of  kin,  are  not 
interchangeable.  For  example,  we  can  not  say,  "  He  flew 
the  city,"  "  He  flew  from  his  enemies,"  "  He  flew  at  the 
approach  of  danger,"  flew  being  the  imperfect  tense  of 
to  fly,  which  is  properly  used  to  express  the  actions  of 
birds  on  the  wing,  of  kites,  arrows,  etc.  The  imperfect 
tense  of  to  flee  is  fled ;  hence,  "  He  fled  the  city,"  "  He 
fledixom  his  enemies,"  "We  fled  at  the  approach  of  dan- 
ger," etc. 

Flock.  Distinctions  in  the  use  of  collective  nouns 
have  been  thus  pointed  out : 

A  flock  of  girls  is  called  a  bevy  ;  a  bevy  of  wolves  a 
pack  ;  a  pack  of  thieves  a  gang  ;  a  gang  of  angels  a  host ;  a 
host  of  porpoises  a  shoal ;  a  shoal  of  buffalo  a  herd  ;  a  herd 
of  children  a  troop  ;  a  troop  of  partridges  a  covey  ;  a  covey 
of  beauties  a  galaxy  ;  a  galaxy  of  ruffians  a  horde  ;  a  horde 
of  rubbish  a  heap ;  a  heap  of  oxen  a  drove  ;  a  drove  of 
blackguards  a  mob  ;  a  mob  of  whales  a  school  ;  a  school  of 
worshipers  a  congregation  ;  a  congregation  of  engineers  a 


THE    VERBALIST.  Qg 

corps ;  a  corps  of  robbers  a  band  ;  a  band  of  locusts  a 
swarm  ;  a  swarm  of  people  a  crowd. 

Fly.  "  Why  did  the  fly  Texan,  after  handling  the 
money  and  seeing  it  put  into  the  bag,  draw  his  pistol  on 
the  New  York  swindler  as  he  was  pushing  the  bag  toward 
the  panel  ?'*— Ed.  N.  Y.  Sun. 

I  don't  know  what_/7y  means  in  the  sentence  above,  but 
I  suspect  that  it's  slang. 

Forcible-feeble.  This  is  a  "  novicy  "  kind  of  diction 
in  which  the  would-be  forcible  writer  defeats  his  object  by 
the  overuse  of  expletives. 

Examples  :  "  And  yet  the  great  centralization  of  wealth 

is  one  of  the  [great]  evils  of  the  day.     All  that  Mr. 

titters  [says]  upon  this  point  is  forcible  Adjust.  This  cen- 
tralization is  due  to  the  enormous  reproductive  power  of 
capital,  to  the  immense  advantage  that  costly  and  compli- 
cated machinery  gives  to  great  [large]  establishments,  and 
to  the  marked  difference  of  personal  force  among  men." 
The  first  great  is  misplaced  ;  the  word  utters  is  misused  ; 
the  second  great  is  ill-chosen.  The  other  words  in  italics 
only  enfeeble  the  sentence. 

Again :  "  In  countries  where  immense  [large]  estates 
exist,  a  breaking  up  of  these  vast  demesnes  into  many 
minor  freeholds  would  no  doubt  be  a  [of]  very  great  ad- 
vantage." Substitute  large  for  immense,  and  take  out  vast, 
many,  and  very,  and  the  language  becomes  much  more 
forcible. 

Again  :  "  The  very   first  effect  of  the  taxation 

plan  would  be  destructive  to  the  interests  of  this  great 
multitude  [class]  ;  it  would  impoverish  our  innumerable 
farmers,  it  would  confiscate  the  earnings  of  [our]  in- 
dustrious tradesmen  and  artisans,  it  ivould  [and]  para- 
lyze the  hopes  of  struggling  millions."     What  a  waste  of 


IOO  THE    VERBALIST. 

portly  expletives  is  here !  With  them  the  sentence  is 
high-flown  and  weak  ;  take  them  out  and  introduce  the 
words  inclosed  in  brackets,  and  it  becomes  simple  and 
forcible. 

Former  and  latter.  The  less  a  writer  uses  these 
words  the  better.  In  the  interest  of  force  and  clearness 
their  use  should  be  studiously  avoided.  It  is  nearly  always 
better  to  repeat  the  noun. 

"  The  Suabian  cities  .  .  .  now  made  another  attempt 
to  protect  themselves  against  the  encroachments  of  the 
reigning  princes  upon  their  rights.  For  two  years  a  fierce 
war  waged  between  them  [the  cities]  and  the  latter  [the 
princes],  who  were  headed,"  etc. — Bayard  Taylor.  In 
this  sentence  it  is  also  better  not  to  use  them,  but  to  re- 
peat the  noun.  In  using  pronouns  one  can  not  be  too 
sparing. 

"  In  this  treaty  the  emperor  .  .  .  infamously  gave  his 
allies  to  Charles  the  Bold's  revenge.  The  latter  [Charles] 
instantly  seized,"  etc. 

"  In  case  of  disagreement  between  the  President  and 
any  member  of  the  cabinet,  has  the  former  [President]  the 
power  of  removal  of  [to  remove]  such  officer  ?  " 

"  The  gentleman  was  waiting  to  shoot  tigers  as  they 
came  to  drink  at  a  lake  skirted  by  a  jungle,  when  about 
midnight  a  deer  emerged  from  the  latter  [jungle]  and  went 
to  the  water's  edge." 

"  Thus  Texas,  with  a  population  of  2,650,000,  would 
have  to  pay  more  than  Massachusetts,  with  a  population  of 
2,472,000,  though  the  latter  State  [Massachusetts]  has  more 
than  three  times  the  wealth  of  the  former  [Texas]." 

"  Li  Hung  Chang's  degradation  may  mean  much,  and  it 
may  mean  nothing  ;  it  is  more  than  probable  that  it  is  the 
latter  [means  nothing]." 


THE    VERBALIST.  101 

"  Such  was  Bonaparte's  first  interview  with  Barras. 
Subsequently  the  latter  [Barras],  finding  himself,"  etc. 

"  This  physical  double  of  Bonaparte  was  Marat.  I 
had  seen  a  good  deal  of  the  latter  [Marat]  on  the 
benches,"  etc. 

The  reader  usually  has  to  go  back,  if  he  would  be  sure 
which  is  former  and  which  latter. 

"Griffin  paid  no  attention  to  Buttz.  At  the  corner 
of  Park  and  State  Streets  the  latter  [Buttz]  drew  a  re- 
volver," etc. 

"  During  the  altercation  between  the  moderator  and  the 
accused,  the  former  [moderator]  declared  Mr.  Blank  sus- 
pended, whereupon  the  latter  [Mr.  Blank]  rose  and  said: 
'  You  have,'  "  etc. 

Forward.  This  word,  like  upward,  downward,  to- 
ward, and  other  compounds  of  ward,  is  often  written 
with  a  final  s,  yet  the  s  is  generally  considered  a  super- 
fluity. 

Frequently.    See  Generally. 

Friend — Acquaintance.  Some  philosopher  has  said 
that  he  that  has  half  a  dozen  friends  in  the  course  of  his 
life  may  deem  himself  fortunate  ;  and  yet,  to  judge  from 
many  people's  talk,  one  would  suppose  they  had  friends  by 
the  score.  No  man  knows  whether  he  has  any  friends  or 
not  until  he  has  "  their  adoption  tried  "  ;  hence,  he  that  is 
desirous  to  call  things  by  their  right  names  will,  as  a  rule, 
use  the  word  acquaintance  instead  of  friend.  "  Your  friend  " 
is  a  favorite  and  very  objectionable  way  many  people,  espe- 
cially young  people,  have  of  writing  themselves  at  the  end 
of  their  letters.  In  this  way  the  obscure  stripling  protests 
himself  the  FRIEND  of  the  first  man  in  the  land,  and  that, 
too,  when  he  is,  perhaps,  a  comparative  stranger  and  ask- 
ing a  favor. 


I02  THE    VERBALIST. 

Future.  Sometimes  strangely  misused  for  thereafter, 
after,  afterward,  subsequent,  thus  : 

"  ll\s  future  [subsequent]  career  is  involved  in  mystery." 

"  Early  the  following  year  they  bought  a  place  in  the 
country,  where  they  resided  [lived]  a  good  deal  for  the 
future  [afterward]. " 

"  It  was  a  triumph,  and  for  the  future  [thereafter] 
Maurice  found  his  men  more  easily  managed." 

"  Many  a  time  in  the  future  [afterward,  or  subsequently] 
when  the  story  was  told,"  etc. 

"  Her  future  [after]  life  was,"  etc. 

"  At  a.  future  [subsequent]  meeting  Sir  David  was  served 
with  an  indictment." 

"  Upon  all  future  [subsequent]  occasions  the  Queen 
was  very  affable." 

"  And  what  was  the  future  [subsequent]  career  of  these 
two  ?  " 

Future  can  not  properly  be  used  with  a  past  tense,  ex- 
cept where  the  statement  has  the  effect  of  an  indirect  quo- 
tation ;  as,  "  He  said  his  whole  future  career  depended  on 
his  yielding." 

Gender.  When  nobody,  no  one,  no  person,  not  any  one, 
one,  or  not  anybody  is  the  antecedent — i.  e.,  when  the  an- 
tecedent maybe  of  either  sex — the  masculine  pronoun  should 
always  be  used. 

"  Nobody  [else]  ever  [has]  put  so  much  of  themselves 
[himself]  into  their  [his]  work." — Leslie  Stephen  on  Char- 
lotte Bronte. 

"  There  was  something  indignant  in  her  manner,  like 
one  who  felt  herself  [himself]  under  the  mortifying  neces- 
sity of  conforming  to  the  will  of  others."  The  felt  should 
be  feels. 

Generally.     Here  is  a  word  that  is  very  frequently  used 


THE    VERBALIST.  103 

when  the  proper  word  would  be  one  of  its  synonyms — usu- 
ally, frequently,  or  commonly.     I  quote  from  Crabb  : 

"What  is  commonly  done  is  an  action  common  to  all  ; 
what  is  generally  done  is  the  action  of  the  greatest  part ; 
what  is  frequently  done  is  either  the  action  of  many,  or  an 
action  many  times  repeated  by  the  same  person  ;  what  is 
usually  done  is  done  regularly  by  one  or  by  many.  Com- 
monly is  opposed  to  rarely  ;  generally  and  frequently  to 
occasionally  or  seldom  ;  usually  to  casually.  Men  com- 
monly judge  of  others  by  themselves  ;  those  who  judge  by 
the  mere  exterior  are  generally  deceived  ;  but  notwithstand- 
ing every  precaution,  one  is  frequently  exposed  to  gross 
frauds  ;  a  man  of  business  usually  repairs  to  his  counting- 
house  every  day  at  a  certain  hour." 

There  is  always  a  best  word  to  use  ;  but  one  can  not 
always  find  that  best  word,  try  as  one  may. 

Gentleman.  Few  things  are  in  worse  taste  than  to  use 
the  term  gentleman,  whether  in  the  singular  or  the  plural, 
to  designate  the  sex.  "  If  I  was  a  gentleman,"  says  Miss 
Snooks.  "  Gentlemen  have  just  as  much  curiosity  as  ladies," 
says  Airs.  Jenkins.  "  Gentlemen  have  so  much  more  liberty 
than  we  ladies  have,"  says  Mrs.  Parvenue.  Now,  if  these 
ladies  were  ladies,  they  would  in  each  of  these  cases  use  the 
word  man  instead  of  gentleman,  and  woman  instead  of  lady. 
Further,  Miss  Snooks  would  say,  "  If  I  were"  W ell-bred 
men,  men  of  culture  and  refinement — gentlemen,  in  short — 
use  the  terms  lady  and  gentleman  comparatively  little,  and 
they  are  especially  careful  not  to  call  themselves  gentlemen 
when  they  can  avoid  it.  A  gentleman,  for  example,  does 
not  say,  "  I,  with  some  other  gentlemen,  went,"  etc.  ;  he  is 
careful  to  leave  out  the  word  other.  The  men  that  use 
these  terms  most,  and  especially  those  that  lose  no  oppor- 
tunity to  proclaim  themselves  gentlemen,  belong  to  that  cks* 


io4 


THE    VERBALIST. 


of  men  that  cock  their  hats  on  one  side  of  their  heads,  and 
often  wear  them  when  and  where  gentlemen  would  remove 
them  ;  that  pride  themselves  on  their  familiarity  with  the 
latest  slang  ;  that  proclaim  their  independence  by  showing 
the  least  possible  consideration  for  others  ;  that  laugh  long 
and  loud  at  their  own  wit ;  that  wear  a  profusion  of  cheap 
finery,  such  as  outlandish  watch  chains  hooked  in  the  lowest 
button-hole  of  their  waistcoats,  Brazilian  diamonds  in  their 
shirt  bosoms,  and  big  seal  rings  on  their  little  fingers  ;  that 
use  bad  grammar  and  interlard  their  conversation  with  big 
oaths.  In  business  correspondence,  Smith  is  addressed  as 
Sir,  while  Smith  &  Brown  are  often  addressed  as  Gentle- 
men— or,  vulgarly,  as  Gents.  It  is  better  to  address  them 
as  Sirs. 

Since  writing  the  foregoing,  I  have  met  with  the  follow- 
ing paragraph  in  the  London  publication,  All  the  Year 
Round  :  "  Socially,  the  term  '  gentleman '  has  become  al- 
most vulgar.  It  is  certainly  less  employed  by  gentlemen 
than  by  inferior  persons.  The  one  speaks  of  '  a  man  I 
know,'  the  other  of  'a  gentleman  I  know.'  In  the  one 
case  the  gentleman  is  taken  for  granted,  in  the  other  it 
seems  to  need  specification.  Again,  as  regards  the  term 
'  lady.'  It  is  quite  in  accordance  with  the  usages  of  society 
to  speak  of  your  acquaintance  the  duchess  as  '  a  very  nice 
person.'  People  who  would  say  '  very  nice  lady '  are  not 
generally  of  a  social  class  that  has  much  to  do  with 
duchesses  ;  and  if  you  speak  of  one  of  these  as  a  '  person,' 
you  will  soon  be  made  to  feel  your  mistake." 

"  In  nine  cases  out  of  ten  the  use  of  gentleman  for  man 
is  a  case  of  affectation  founded  neither  in  education  nor 
politeness." — N.  Y.  Sun. 

Gents.  Of  all  vulgarisms,  this  is  perhaps  the  most 
offensive.     If  we  say  gents,  why  not  say  lades? 


THE    VERBALIST.  105 

Gerund.  "  '  I  have  work  to  do'  '  there  is  no  more  to 
say,'  are  phrases  where  the  verb  is  not  in  the  common  in- 
finitive, but  in  the  form  of  the  gerund.  '  He  is  the  man  to 
do  it,  or  for  doing  it.'  '  A  house  to  let,'  '  the  course  to  steer 
by,'  '  a  place  to  lie  in,'  '  a  thing  to  be  done,'  '  a  city  to  take 
refuge  in,' '  the  means  to  do'\\\  deeds,'  are  adjective  gerunds  ; 
they  may  be  expanded  into  clauses  :  '  a  house  that  the 
owner  lets  or  will  let '  ;  '  the  course  that  we  should 
steer  by ' ;  'a  thing  that  should  be  done '  ;  'a  city 
wherein  one  may  take  refuge '  ;  'the  means  whereby  ill 
deeds  may  be  done.'  When  the  to  ceased  in  the 
twelfth  century  to  be  a  distinctive  mark  of  the  dative 
infinitive  or  gerund,  for  was  introduced  to  make  the 
writer's  intention  clear.  Hence  the  familiar  form  in 
4  What  went  ye  out  for  to  see  ? '  '  they  came  for  to  show 
him  the  temple.'  " — Bain. 

Girl.  Sometimes  vulgarly  employed  instead  of  daugh- 
ter. A  father  whose  permission  was  asked  to  marry  "  one 
of  his  girls,"  answered  :  "  Certainly.  Which  one  will  you 
have — the  chambermaid,  or  the  cook?" 

Good.  Sometimes  improperly  used  instead  of  well,  in 
forming  compound  adjectives  with  the  participles  fitting, 
shaped,  and  conditioned. 

Things  are  Tw/Z-shaped,  not  .gwaf-shaped,  and  garments 
are  well-fitting,  and  not  £*W-fitting. 

"  Her  feet  are  said  to  be  usually  without  an  instep,  and 
owe  all  their  beauty  to  well-fitting  shoes." 

Goods.  This  term,  like  other  terms  used  in  trade, 
should  be  restricted  to  the  vocabulary  of  commerce.  Messrs. 
Arnold  &  Constable,  in  common  with  the  Washington 
Market  huckster,  very  properly  speak  of  their  wares  as 
their  goods  ;  but  Mrs.  Arnold  and  Mrs.  Constable  should — 
and  I  doubt  not  do — speak  of  their  gowns  as  being  made  of 
8 


io6  THE    VERBALIST. 

fine  or  coarse  silk,  cashmere,  muslin,  or  whatever  the  mate- 
rial may  be. 

Got.  In  sentences  expressing  simple  possession — as, 
"I  have  got  a  book,"  "What  has  he  got  there?"  "Have 
you  got  any  news?"  "They  have  got  a  new  house,"  etc. — 
got  is  entirely  superfluous,  if  not,  as  some  writers  con- 
tend, absolutely  incorrect.  Possession  is  fully  expressed 
by  have.  "  Foxes  have  holes  :  the  birds  of  the  air  have 
nests  "  ;  not,  "  Foxes  have  got  holes  ;  the  birds  of  the  air 
have  got  nests."  Formerly  the  imperfect  tense  of  this  verb 
was  gat,  which  is  now  obsolete,  and  the  perfect  participle 
was  gotten,  which  some  grammarians  say  is  growing  obso- 
lete. If  this  be  true,  there  is  no  good  reason  for  it.  If  we 
say  eaten,  written,  striven,  forgotten,  why  not  say  gotten, 
where  this  form  of  the  participle  is  more  euphonious — as  it 
often  is — than  got? 

"  Here  is  a  gentleman  who  sends  his  grammatical  propo- 
sition from  a  place  far  off  in  the  West : 


<>  i 


Sir  :  The  following  paragraph  is  clipped  from  The 
Sun  of  January  30th  : 

"  '  "  Some  men  say  nothing  because  they  have  got  noth- 
ing to  say.  Some  say  nothing  because  they  feel  the  neces- 
sity of  keeping  what  they  have  got  and  getting  all  they 
can." ' 

" '  Is  not  the  word  "  got  "  in  each  sentence  not  orJy  in- 
elegant and  superfluous,  but  positively  vulgar?        A.  W. 

"  '  Hamilton,  Mo.,  February  id?  " 

"  Our  correspondent  is  informed  that  the  use  of  the 
word  '  got '  in  the  above  extract  is  entirely  in  accordance 
with  the  most  venerable  and  picturesque  idioms  of  the 
English  language.  This  language,  he  should  understand, 
is   not   a  machine,    but  a  growth,   and  those  who  would 


THE    VERBALIST. 


107 


reduce  it  to  rigorous  utilitarian  forms  would  destroy  its 
beauty.  The  vulgarity  in  this  case  lies  entirely  in  our 
correspondent's  deluded  fancy.  The  word  to  which  he 
objects  is  neither  inelegant  nor  superfluous." — N.  Y.  Sun, 
February  6,  1885. 

If  not  "  inelegant  and  superfluous,"  what  purpose 
does  the  word  serve  ?  Does  have  got  express  more  than 
have  ? 

Gould  against  Alford.  Mr.  Edward  S.  Gould,  in  his 
review  of  Dean  Alford's  Queen's  English,  remarks,  on  page 
131  of  his  Good  English  :  "And  now,  as  to  the  style*  of 
the  dean's  book,  taken  as  a  whole.  He  must  be  held 
responsible  for  every  error  in  it ;  because,  as  has  been 
shown,  he  has  had  full  leisure  for  its  revision. f  The  errors 
are  nevertheless  numerous,  and  the  shortest  way  to  ex- 
hibit them  is  %  in  tabular  form."  In  several  instances  Mr. 
Gould  would  not  have  taken  the  dean  to  task  had  he  been 
more  guarded.  The  following  are  a  few  of  Mr.  Gould's 
corrections  in  which  he  is  clearly  in  the  right  : 

Paragraph  4.  "  Into  another  land  than  "  ;  should  be, 
"  into  a  land  other  than." 

16.  "We  do  not  follow  rule  in  spelling  other  words, 
but  custom  "  ;  should  be,  "  We  do  not  follow  rule,  but  cus- 
tom, in  spelling,"  etc. 

18.  "  The  distinction  is  observed  in  French,  but  never 
appears  to  have  been  made,"  etc.  ;  read,  "  appears  never  to 
have  been  made." 

61.  "  Rather  to  aspirate  more  than  less "  ;  should  be, 
"  to  aspirate  more  rather  than  less." 

*  Mr.  Gould  criticises  the  dean's  diction,  not  his  style. 
t  Better,  "  to  revise  it." 

JIs  to  put  them  in  tabular  form"  ;  or,  better,  "The  shortest  way 
is  to  exhibit  them  in  tabular  form." 


IOS  THE    VERBALIST. 

9.  "  It  is  said  also  only  to  occur  three  times,"  etc.  ; 
read,  "  occur  only  three  times." 

44.  "  This  doubling  only  takes  place  in  a  syllable,"  etc. ; 
read,  "  takes  place  only." 

142.  "  Which  can  only  be  decided  when  those  circum- 
stances are  known  "  ;  read,  "  can  be  decided  only  when,"  etc. 

166.  "  I  will  only  say  that  it  produces,"  etc.  ;  read,  "  I 
will  say  only ,"  etc. 

170.  "It  is  said  that  this  can  only  be  rilled  in  thus"; 
read,  "can  be  filled  in  only  thus." 

368.  "  I  can  only  deal  with  the  complaint  in  a  general 
way  "  ;  read,  "  deal  with  the  complaint  only"  etc. 

86.  "  In  so  far  as  they  are  idiomatic,"  etc.  What  is  the 
use  of  in  ? 

171.  "  Try  the  experiment  " — "  tried  the  experiment  "  ; 
read,  make  and  made. 

345.  "  It  is  most  generally  used  of  that  very  sect,"  etc. 
Why  most? 

362.  "  The  joining  together  two  clauses  with  a  third," 
etc.  ;  read,  "of  two  clauses,"  etc. 

Gown.     See  Dress. 

Graduated.  Most  writers  nowadays  say,  "  I  was,  he 
7vas,  or  they  were  graduated  "  ;  and  ask,  "  When  were  you, 
or  was  he,  graduated  ? "  "  He  was  graduated  at  Prince- 
ton." "  He  was  graduated  at  Harvard  in  1S50." — Standard 
Dictionary. 

Grammatical  Errors.  "  The  correctness  of  the  ex- 
pression grammatical  errors  has  been  disputed.  '  How,'  it 
has  been  asked,  'can  an  error  be  grammatical?'  How,  it 
may  be  replied,  can  we  with  propriety  say,  grammatically 
incorrect!     Yet  we  can  do  so. 

"No  one  will  question  the  propriety  of  saying  gram- 
matically correct.     Yet  the   expression  is  the  acknowledg- 


THE    VERBALIST.  109 

merit  of  things  grammatically  incorrect.  Likewise  the 
phrase  grammatical  correctness  implies  the  existence  of 
grammatical  incorrectness.  If,  then,  a  sentence  is  gram- 
matically incorrect,  or,  what  is  the  same  thing,  has  gram- 
matical incorrectness,  it  includes  a  GRAMMATICAL  ERROR. 
Grammatically  incorrect  signifies  incorrect  with  rela- 
tion TO  THE  RULES  OF  grammar.  Grammatical  errors 
signifies  errors  with  relation  to  the  rules  of  gram- 
mar. 

"  They  who  ridicule  the  phrase  grammatical  errors,  and 
substitute  the  phrase  errors  in  grammar,  make  an  egregious 
mistake.  Can  there,  it  may  be  asked  with  some  show  of 
reason,  be  an  error  in  grammar?  Why,  grammar  is  a 
science  founded  in  our  nature,  referable  to  our  ideas  of 
time,  relation,  method  ;  imperfect,  doubtless,  as  to  the  sys- 
tem by  which  it  is  represented  ;  but  surely  we  can  speak 
of  error  in  that  which  is  error's  criterion  !  All  this  is 
hypercritical,  but  hypercriticism  must  be  met  with  its  own 
weapons. 

"  Of  the  two  expressions — a  grammatical  error  and  an 
error  in  grammar — the  former  is  preferable.  If  one's 
judgment  can  accept  neither,  one  must  relinquish  the  be- 
lief in  the  possibility  of  tersely  expressing  the  idea  of  an 
offense  against  grammatical  rules.  Indeed,  it  would  be  diffi- 
cult to  express  the  idea  even  by  circumlocution.  Should 
some  one  say,  '  This  sentence  is,  according  to  the  rules  of 
grammar,  incorrect ' — '  What ! '  the  hypercritic  may  exclaim, 
'  incorrect !  and  according  to  the  rules  of  grammar ! ' 
'  This  sentence,  then,'  the  corrected  person  would  reply, 
'  contains  an  error  in  grammar.'  'Nonsense!'  the  hyper- 
critic may  shout,  '  grammar  is  a  science ;  you  may  be 
wrong  in  its  interpretation,  but  principles  are  immutable  !' 

"After  this,  it  need  scarcely  be  added  that,  grammat- 


IIO  THE    VERBALIST. 

ically,  no  one  can  make  a  mistake  ;  that  there  can  be  no 
grammatical  mistake  ;  that  there  can  be  no  bad  grammar, 
and,  consequently,  no  bad  English.  A  very  pleasant  con- 
clusion, which  would  save  us  a  great  amount  of  trouble  if  it 
did  not  lack  the  insignificant  quality  of  being  true." — Vul- 
garisms and  Other  Errors  of  Speech. 

Gratuitous.  There  are  those  that  object  to  the  use  of 
this  word  in  the  sense  of  unfounded,  unwarranted,  unreason- 
able, untrue.  Its  use  in  this  sense,  however,  has  the  sanc- 
tion of  abundant  authority.  "  Weak  and  gratuitous  con- 
jectures."— Porson.  "  A  gratuitous  assumption." — Godwin. 
"  The  gratuitous  theory." — Southey.  "  A  gratuitous  inven- 
tion."— De  Quincey.  "  But  it  is  needless  to  dwell  on  the 
improbability  of  a  hypothesis  which  [that]  has  been  shown 
to  be  altogether  gratuitous." — Dr.  Newman. 

Greek — Grecian.  These  two  adjectives  should  not  be 
used  indiscriminately.  The  distinction  between  them  is 
this :  Greek  means  belonging  to  Greece  ;  Grecian,  relating 
to  Greece.  An  imitation  of  what  is  Greek  is  Grecian.  A 
Greek  shield  is  one  preserved  as  a  piece  of  antiquity ;  a 
Grecian  shield  is  one  made  after  a  Greek  model.  We 
speak  of  a  Greek  poet,  of  the  Greek  language,  of  Grecian 
architecture,  and  of  Grecian  history.  A  Greek  temple  is  a 
temple  of  Greece  ;  a  Grecian  temple  is  one  built  in  imitation 
of  a  Greek  temple. 

Grow.  This  verb  originally  meant,  to  increase  in  size, 
but  has  normally  come  to  be  also  used  to  express  a  change 
from  one  state  or  condition  to  another  ;  as,  to  grow  dark,  to 
grow  weak  or  strong,  to  grow  faint,  etc.  But  it  is  doubtful 
whether  what  is  large  can  properly  be  said  to  grow  small. 
In  this  sense,  beco??ie  would  seem  to  be  the  better  word,  yet 
there  is  ample  authority  for  groiu  small,  grow  less,  and  grow 
fewer. 


THE    VERBALIST.  \\\ 

Guess.  "  The  only  difference  between  the  English  and 
the  American  use  of  the  word  is,  probably,  that  the  former 
denotes  a  fair,  candid  guess,  while  the  Yankee  who  guesses 
is  apt  to  be  quite  sure  of  what  he  professes  to  doubt."-- 
Scheie  de  Vere.  "  Denotes,  to  attempt  to  hit  upon  at  ran- 
dom. It  is  a  gross  vulgarism  to  use  the  word  guess  not  in 
its  true  and  specific  sense,  but  simply  for  think  or  sup- 
pose."— Webster. 

Guess,  as  used  by  the  American,  is  hardly  so  strong  in 
signification  as  think  or  suppose.  Our  /  guess  usually 
means,  at  the  most,  I  am  inclined  to  think — a  sense  in  which 
the  Englishman  is  wont  to  use  the  locution  /  fancy.  To 
characterize  /guess  as  a.  gross  vulgarism  is  rather  severe. 

Gums.     See  RuBBii  .s. 

Had  have.  Nothing  could  be  more  incorrect  than  the 
bringing  together  of  these  two  auxiliary  verbs  in  this  man- 
ner, and  yet  we  occasionally  find  it  in  writers  of  repute. 
Instead  of"  Had  I  known  it,"  "  Had  you  seen  it,"  "  Had 
we  been  there,"  we  hear,  "  Had  I  have  known  it,"  "  Had 
you    have   seen   it,"    "  Had   we    have    been    there."      See 

TliNSE. 

Had  ought.  This  is  a  vulgarism  of  the  worst  descrip- 
tion ;  yet  we  hear  people,  that  would  be  highly  indignant  ii 
any  one  should  intimate  that  they  were  not  ladies  and  gen- 
tlemen, say,  "  He  had  ought  to  go."  A  fitting  reply  would 
1  e,  "  Yes,  I  think  he  better  had."  Ought  says  all  that  had 
ought  says. 

Had  rather.  This  expression  and  had  better  are  much 
used,  but  in  the  opinion  of  many  are  indefensible.  We 
hear  them  in  such  sentences  as,  "  I  had  rather  not  do  it," 
"You  had  better  go  home."  "Now,  what  tense,"  it  is 
asked,  "  is  had  do  and  had  go  ?  "  If  we  transpose  the  words 
thus,  "You  had  do  better  (to)  go  home,"  it  becomes  at  once 


U2  THE    VERBALIST. 

apparent,  it  is  asserted,  that  the  proper  word  to  use  in 
connection  with  rather  and  better  is  not  had,  but  should  or 
would ;  thus,  "  I  should  rather  not  do  it,"  "  You  would  bet- 
ter go  home."  Examples  of  this  use  of  had  can  be  found 
in  the  writings  of  our  best  authors.  For  what  Prof.  Bain 
has  to  say  on  this  subject  see  his  Composition  Grammar. 

"  Would  rather  may  always  be  substituted  for  had  rather. 
Might  rather  would  not  have  the  same  meaning.  Would 
and  should  do  not  go  well  with  better.  In  one  instance  can  is 
admissible  :  "  I  can  better  afford,"  because  can  is  especially 
associated  with  afford.  We  may  say  might  better,  but  it 
has  neither  the  sanction,  the  idiomatic  force,  nor  the  pre- 
cise meaning  of  had  better." — Samuel  Ramsey. 

"  I  had  rather  be  a  doorkeeper  in  the  house  of  my  God, 
than  to  dwell  in  the  tents  of  wickedness." — Psalms. 

Hain't.     A  very  objectionable  vulgarism. 

Handy.  Should  not  be  used  in  the  sense  of  near, 
nearby,  close  at  hand ;  as,  "  There  is  a  grocery  quite  handy  " 
(or  handy  by). 

Hanged — Hung.  The  irregular  form,  hung,  of  the  past 
participle  of  the  verb  to  hang  is  most  used  ;  but  when  the 
word  denotes  suspension  by  the  neck  for  the  purpose  of 
destroying  life,  the  regular  form,  hanged,  is  always  used  by 
careful  writers  and  speakers.  We  say,  "  I'll  be  hanged  if 
I  do,"  not  "  I'll  be  Imng  if  I  do "  ;  and  the  judge  says, 
"  That  you  be  hanged  by  the  neck  till  you  are  dead,"  not 
"  That  you  be  hung  by  the  neck  till  you  are  dead." 

Hardly.  Frequently  misplaced,  thus  :  "  I  hardly  think 
I  shall  be  able  to  go."  Should  be  :  "I  think  I  shall 
hardly,"  etc. 

Haste.     See  Hurry. 

Heading.     See  Caption. 

Healthy — Wholesome.     The  first  of  these  two  words 


THE    VERBALIST.  113 

13  often  improperly  used  for  the  second  ;  as,  "  Onions  are 
a  healthy  vegetable."  A  man,  if  he  is  in  good  health,  is 
healthy ;  the  food  he  eats,  if  it  is  not  deleterious,  is  -whole- 
some. A  healthy  ox  makes  wholesome  food.  We  speak  of 
healthy  surroundings,  a  healthy  climate,  situation,  employ- 
ment, and  of  wholesome  food,  advice,  examples.  Healthful 
is  commonly  used  in  the  sense  of  conducive  to  health,  virtue, 
morality  ;  as,  healthful  exercise,  the  healthful  spirit  of  the 
community — meaning  that  the  spirit  that  prevails  in  the 
community  is  conducive  to  virtue  and  good  morals. 

Help.  This  word  is  often  used  colloquially  in  the  sense 
of  avoid,  prevent,  in  a  very  peculiar  manner  ;  as,  "  I'll  give 
him  no  more  than  I  can  help  "  ;  whereas,  regularly,  it  would 
be  "  not  help,"  which  is  contrary  to  idiom.  It  is  better  to 
avoid  the  expression. 

Helpmate.  The  dictionaries  suggest  that  this  word  is 
a  corruption  of  help  and  meet,  as  we  find  these  words  used 
in  Gen.  ii,  18,  "  I  will  make  him  a  help  meet  for  him,"  and 
that  the  proper  word  is  helpmeet.  If,  as  is  possible,  the 
words  in  Genesis  mean,  "  I  will  make  him  a  help  meet 
[suitable]  for  him,"  then  neither  helpmate  nor  helpmeet  has 
any  raison  d'etre.     Helpmate  is  to  be  preferred. 

Hence.  This  adverb  is  often  used  when  it  serves  no 
purpose  ;  thus,  "  It  will  be  many  years  hence,  we  apprehend, 
before,"  etc.     Futurity  is  fully  expressed  with  will  be. 

He  was  given,  or  was  tendered,  and  like  usage.  See 
Passive. 

Highfalutin.  This  is  a  style  of  writing  often  called  the 
freshman  style.  It  is  much  indulged  in  by  very  young  men, 
and  by  a  class  of  older  men  that  instinctively  try  to  make 
up  in  clatter  for  what  they  lack  in  matter.  Examples  of 
this  kind  of  writing  are  abundant  in  Prof.  L.  T.  Townsend's 
Art  of  Speech,  which,  as  examples,  are  all  the  better  for  not 


U4 


THE    VERBALIST. 


being  of  that  exaggerated  description  sometimes  met  with 
in  the  newspapers.  Vol.  i,  p.  131  :  "Very  often  adverbs, 
prepositions,  and  relatives  drift  so  far  from  their  moorings 
as  to  lose  themselves,  or  make  attachments  where  they  do 
not  belong."  Again,  p.  135  :  "  Every  law  of  speech  en- 
forces the  statement  that  there  is  no  excuse  for  such  inflated 
and  defective  style.  [Such  style  !]  To  speak  thus  is  treason 
in  the  realms  and  under  the  laws  of  language."  Again, 
p.  175  :  "Cultivate  figure-making  habitudes.  This  is  done 
by  asking  the  spiritual  import  of  every  physical  object 
seen ;  also  by  forming  the  habit  of  constantly  metaphoriz- 
ing.  Knock  at  the  door  of  anything  met  which  [that]  in- 
terests, and  ask,  '  Who  lives  here  ? '  The  process  is  to  look, 
then  close  the  eyes,  then  look  within."  The  blundering 
inanity  of  this  kind  of  writing  is  equaled  only  by  its  bump- 
tious grandiloquence. 

On  page  137,  Dr.  Townsend  quotes  this  wholesome  ad- 
monition from  Coleridge:  "If  men  would  only  say  what 
they  have  to  say  in  plain  terms,  how  much  more  eloquent 
they  would  be  !  " 

As  an  example  of  reportorial  highfalutin  I  submit  the 
following :  "  The  spirit  of  departed  day  had  joined  com- 
munion with  the  myriad  ghosts  of  centuries,  and  four  full 
hours  fled  into  eternity  before  the  citizens  of  many  parts  of 
the  town  found  out  there  was  a  freshet  here  at  all." 

A  school  committee  in  Massachusetts  recommend  ex- 
ercises in  English  composition  in  these  terms  :  "  Next  to 
the  pleasure  that  pervades  the  corridors  of  the  soul  when  it 
is  entranced  by  the  whiling  witchery  that  presides  over  it 
consequent  upon  the  almost  divine  productions  of  Mozart, 
Haydn,  and  Handel,  whether  these  are  executed  by  magi- 
cian concert  parts  in  deep  and  highly  matured  melody  from 
artistic  modulated  intonations  of  the  finely-cultured  human 


THE    VERBALIST.  115 

voice,  or  played  by  some  fairy-fingered  musician  upon  the 
trembling  strings  of  the  harp  or  piano,  comes  the  charming 
delight  we  experience  from  the  mastery  of  English  prose, 
and  the  spellbinding  wizards  of  song  who  by  their  art  of 
divination  through  their  magic  wand,  the  pen,  have  trans- 
formed scenes  hitherto  unknown,  and  made  them  as  im- 
mortal as  those  spots  of  the  Orient  and  mountain  haunts 
of  the  gods,  whether  of  sunny  Italy  or  of  tuneful,  heroic 
Greece." 

We  may  be  sure  that  the  writer  of  this  thought  it  beau- 
tiful.    To  him,  beauty  was  not  beauty  unless  adorned. 

Hints.  "  Never  write  about  any  matter  that  you  do 
not  well  understand.  If  you  clearly  understand  all  about 
your  matter  you  will  never  want  thoughts,  and  thoughts 
instantly  become  words. 

"One  of  the  greatest  of  all  faults  in  writing  and  in 
speaking  is  this :  the  using  of  many  words  to  say  little. 
In  order  to  guard  yourself  against  this  fault,  inquire  what  is 
the  substance,  or  amount,  of  what  you  have  said.  Take  a 
long  speech  of  some  talking  Lord  and  put  down  upon 
paper  what  the  amount  of  it  is.  You  will  most  likely  find 
that  the  amount  is  very  small  ;  but,  at  any  rate,  when  you 
get  it,  you  will  then  be  able  to  examine  it  and  to  tell  what 
it  is  worth.  A  very  few  examinations  of  the  sort  will  so 
frighten  you  that  you  will  be  for  ever  after  upon  your 
guard  against  talking  a  great  deal  and  saying  little." — Cob- 
bett. 

"  Be  simple,  be  unaffected,  be  honest  in  your  speaking 
and  writing.  Never  use  a  long  word  where  a  short  one 
will  do.  Call  a  spade  a  spade,  not  a  well-known  oblong  in- 
strument of  manual  husbandry ;  let  home  be  home,  not  a 
residence  ;  a  place  a  place,  not  a  locality  ;  and  so  of  the  rest. 
Where  a  short  word  will  do,  you  always  lose  by  using  a 


n6  THE    VERBALIST. 

long  one  :  you  lose  in  clearness  ;  you  lose  in  honest  ex- 
pression of  your  meaning  ;  and,  in  the  estimation  of  al! 
men  who  are  qualified  to  judge,  you  lose  in  reputation  for 
ability.  The  only  true  way  to  shine,  even  in  this  false 
world,  is  to  be  modest  and  unassuming.  Falsehood  may 
be  a  very  thick  crust,  but  in  the  course  of  time  truth  will 
find  a  place  to  break  through.  Elegance  of  language  may 
not  be  in  the  power  of  all  of  us,  but  simplicity  and  straight- 
forwardness are.  Write  much  as  you  would  speak  ;  speak 
as  you  think.  If  with  your  inferiors,  speak  no  coarser  than 
usual ;  if  with  your  superiors,  no  finer.  Be  what  you  say  ; 
and,  within  the  rules  of  prudence,  say  what  you  are." — 
Dean  Alford. 

"  Go  critically  over  what  you  have  written,  and  strike 
out  every  word,  phrase,  and  clause  which  [that]  it  is  found 
will  leave  the  sentence  neither  less  clear  nor  less  forcible 
than  it  is  with  them." — Swinton. 

"  With  all  watchfulness,  it  is  astonishing  what  slips  are 
made,  even  by  good  writers,  in  the  employment  of  an  inap- 
propriate word.  In  Gibbon's  Rise  and  Fall  the  following 
instance  occurs  :  '  Of  nineteen  tyrants  who  started  up  after 
the  reign  of  Gallienus,  there  was  not  one  who  enjoyed  a  life 
of  peace  or  a  natural  death!  And  not  long  since  a  worthy 
Scotch  minister,  at  the  close  of  the  services,  intimated  his- 
intention  of  visiting  some  of  his  people  as  follows  :  '  I  in- 
tend during  this  week  to  visit  in  Mr.  M 's  district,  and 

will  on  this  occasion  take  the  opportunity  of  embracing  all 
the  servants  in  the  district.'  When  worthies  such  as  these 
offend,  who  shall  call  the  bellman  in  question  as  he  cries, 
'  Lost,  a  silver-handled  silk  lady's  parasol '  ? 

"  The  proper  arrangement  of  words  into  sentences  and 
paragraphs  gives  clearness  and  strength.  To  attain  a  clear 
and  pithy  style,  it  may  be  necessary  to  cut  down,  to  re- 


THE    VERBALIST. 


117 


arrange,  and  to  rewrite  whole  passages  of  an  essay.  Gib- 
bon wrote  his  Memoirs  six  times,  and  the  first  chapter  of 
his  History  three  times.  Beginners  are  always  slow  to 
prune  or  cast  away  any  thought  or  expression  which  may 
have  cost  labor.  They  forget  that  brevity  is  no  sign  of 
thoughtlessness.  Much  consideration  is  needed  to  com- 
press  the  details  of  any  subject  into  small  compass.  Es- 
sences are  more  difficult  to  prepare,  and  therefore  more 
valuable,  than  weak  solutions.  Pliny  wrote  to  one  of  his 
friends,  '  I  have  not  time  to  write  you  a  short  letter,  there- 
fore I  have  written  you  a  long  one.'  Apparent  elaborate- 
ness is  always  distasteful  and  weak.  Vividness  and  strength 
are  the  product  of  an  easy  command  of  those  small  trench- 
ant Saxon  monosyllables  which  abound  in  the  English  lan- 
guage."— Leisure  Hour. 

"  As  a  rule,  the  student  will  do  well  to  banish  for  the 
present  all  thought  of  ornament  or  elegance,  and  to  aim 
only  at  expressing  himself  plainly  and  clearly.  The  best 
ornament  is  always  that  which  comes  unsought.  Let  him 
not  beat  about  the  bush,  but  go  straight  to  the  point.  Let 
him  remember  that  what  is  written  is  meant  to  be  read  ; 
that  time  is  short ;  and  that,  other  things  being  equal, 
the  fewer  words  the  better.  .  .  .  Repetition  is  a  far  less 
serious  fault  than  obscurity.  Young  writers  are  often  un- 
duly afraid  of  repeating  the  same  word,  and  require  to  be 
reminded  that  it  is  always  better  to  use  the  right  word  over 
again  than  to  replace  it  by  [with]  a  wrong  one — and  a  word 
which  is  liable  to  be  misunderstood  is  a  wrong  one.  A 
frank  repetition  of  a  word  sometimes  has  even  a  kind  of 
charm — as  bearing  the  stamp  of  truth,  the  foundation  of  all 
excellence  of  style." — Hall. 

"  A  young  writer  is  afraid  to  be  simple  ;  he  has  no  faith 
in  beauty  unadorned,  hence  he  crowds  his  sentences  with 


Il8  THE    VERBALIST. 

superlatives.  In  his  estimation  turgidity  passes  for  elo- 
quence, and  simplicity  is  but  another  name  for  that  which 
is  weak  and  unmeaning." — George  Washington  Moon. 

Hit.  The  using  of  this  word  in  the  sense  of  success  is 
incompatible  with  dignified  diction  ;  it  is,  at  the  best,  but 
one  remove  from  slang. 

Instead  of  "  He  made  a  great  hit,"  say  rather,  "  He 
was  very  successful,"  if  this  is  the  thought  intended.  In 
the  sentence,  "  The  speaker  made  some  capital  hits"  the 
sense  is  quite  different. 

Honorable.     See  Reverend. 

How.  "  I  have  heard  how,  in  Italy,  one  is  beset  on  all 
sides  by  beggars "  ;  read,  "  heard  that."  "  I  have  heard 
how  some  critics  have  been  pacified  with  claret  and  a  sup- 
per, and  others  laid  asleep  with  soft  notes  of  flattery." — Dr. 
Johnson.  The  how  in  this  sentence  also  should  be  that. 
How  means  the  manner  in  which.  We  may  therefore 
say,  "  I  have  heard  how  he  went  about  it  to  circumvent 
you." 

"And  it  is  good  judgment  alone  can  dictate  how  far  to 
proceed  in  it  and  when  to  stop."  Cobbett  comments  on 
this  sentence  in  this  wise:  "  Dr.  Watts  is  speaking  here  of 
writing.  In  such  a  case  an  adverb,  like  hozv  far,  expressive 
of  longitudinal  space,  introduces  a  rhetorical  figure ;  for 
the  plain  meaning  is,  that  judgment  will  dictate  hozv  much 
to  zvrite  on  it,  and  not  how  far  to  proceed  in  it.  The  figure, 
however,  is  very  proper,  and  much  better  than  the  literal 
words.  But  when  a  figure  is  begun  it  should  be  carried  on 
throughout,  which  is  not  the  case  here  ;  for  the  doctor  be- 
gins with  a  figure  of  longitudinal  space  and  ends  with  a 
figure  of  time.  It  should  have  been,  where  to  stop  ;  or, 
how  long  to  proceed  in  it  and  when  to  stop.  To  tell  a  man 
how  far  he  is  to  go  into  the  western  countries  of  America 


THE    VERBALIST. 


II9 


and  when  he  is  to  stop,  is  a  very  different  thing  from  tell- 
ing him  how  far  he  is  to  go  and  whiere  he  is  to  stop.  I 
have  dwelt  thus  on  this  distinction  for  the  purpose  of  put- 
ting you  on  the  watch  and  guarding  you  against  confound- 
ing figures.  The  less  you  use  them  the  better,  till  you  un- 
derstand more  about  them." 

Note. — The  alone  in  the  first  line  of  the  paragraph  above  is  mis- 
used. The  meaning  is :  The  only  thing  that  can  dictate  in  the  matter 
is  good  judgment.  We  could  not  say,  '  the  alone  thing.'  If  alone 
were  correct,  then  the  meaning  would  be:  Judgment  unaided — i.  e., 
alone — can  dictate  in  the  matter.  The  relative,  being  in  the  nomina- 
tive, must  not  be  omitted.  Dr.  Watts,  then,  should  have  written : 
"  And  it  is  good  judgment  only  that  can  dictate,"  etc. 

However.  "  However  learned  one  may  be,  there  is  a 
limit  to  one's  knowledge."  Here  the  word  is  properly 
used,  but  it  is  not  properly  used  in  a  sentence  such  as  this  : 
"  However  could  you  tell  such  a  story  !  "  Properly,  "  How 
could  you  every  etc. 

Humanitarianism.  This  word,  in  its  original,  theo- 
logical sense,  means  the  doctrine  that  denies  the  Godhead 
of  Jesus  Christ,  and  avers  that  he  was  possessed  of  a  hu- 
man nature  only ;  a  humanitarian,  therefore,  in  the  theo- 
logical sense,  is  one  that  believes  this  doctrine.  The  word 
and  its  derivatives,  however,  nowadays,  both  in  this  coun- 
try and  in  England,  are  most  used  in  a  humane,  philan- 
thropic sense  ;  thus,  "  The  audience  enthusiastically  in- 
'dorsed  [applauded  ?]  the  humanitarianism  of  his  eloquent 
discourse." — Hatton. 

Hung.     See  Hanged. 

Hurry.  Though  widely  different  in  meaning,  both  the 
verb  and  the  noun  hurry  are  continually  used  for  haste  and 
hasten.  Hurry  implies  not  only  haste,  but  haste  with  con- 
fusion, flurry  ;  while  haste  implies  only  rapidity  of  action, 
an  eager  desire  to  make  progress,  and,  unlike  hurry,  is  not 


120  THE    VERBALIST. 

incompatible  with  deliberation  and  dignity.  It  is  often 
wise  to  hasten  in  the  affairs  of  life  ;  but,  as  it  is  never  wise 
to  proceed  without  forethought  and  method,  it  is  never 
wise  to  hurry.  Sensible  people,  then,  may  be  often  in 
haste  but  are  never  in  a  hurry ;  and  we  tell  others  to  make 
haste,  and  not  to  hurry  up. 

"  If  you  do  not  hurry  [hasten]  you  will  not  arrive  in 
time." 

"  Though  I  am  in  a  great  hurry  [great  haste],  I  can 
not  let  the  opportunity  slip  to  let  you  know,"  etc. 

"  The  aldermen  are  in  no  htirry  [haste]  to  revive  street 
music."— N.  Y.  Sun. 

Hyperbole.  The  magnifying  of  things  beyond  their 
natural  limits  is  called  hyperbole.  Language  that  signifies, 
literally,  more  than  the  exact  truth,  more  than  is  really  in- 
tended to  be  represented,  by  which  a  thing  is  represented 
greater  or  less,  better  or  worse,  than  it  really  is,  is  said  to 
be  hyperbolical.     Hyperbole  is  exaggeration. 

"  Our  common  forms  of  compliment  are  almost  all  of 
them  extravagant  hyperboles." — Blair. 

Some  examples  are  the  following  ■ 

"  Rivers  of  blood  and  hills  of  slain." 

"  They  were  swifter  than  eagles  ;  they  were  stronger 
than  lions." 

"  The  sky  shrunk  upward  with  unusual  dread, 

And  trembling  Tiber  dived  beneath  his  bed." 
"  So  frowned  the  mighty  combatants,  that  hell 
Grew  darker  at  their  frown." 

"  I  saw  their  chief,  tall  as  a  rock  of  ice  ;  his  spear,  the 
blasted  fir  ;  his  shield,  the  rising  moon  :  he  sat  on  the  shore, 
like  a  cloud  of  mist  on  a  hill." 

Ice  cream — Ice  water.  As  for  ice  cream,  there  is  no 
such  thing,  as  ice  cream  would  be  the  product  of  frozen 


THE    VERBALIST.  \2\ 

cream — i.  e.,  cream  made  from  ice  by  melting.  What  is 
called  ice  cream  is  cream  iced ;  hence,  properly,  iced  cream, 
and  not  ice  cream.  The  product  of  mtlted  ice  is  ice  water, 
whether  it  be  cold  or  warm  ;  but  water  made  cold  with  ice 
is  iced  water,  and  not  ice  water. 

"  The  Norwegians  have  gained  credit  for  setting  to 
Europe  the  example  of  having  iced  water  in  their  railway 
cars."— N.  Y.  Sun. 

"  A  butler  was  in  attendance  with  provision  basket-, 
wine,  fruit,  iced  water"  etc. — James  Anthony  Froude. 

Idea.     Should  not  be  used  in  the  sense  of  opinion. 

"  Few  words,"  says  an  English  writer,  "  have  been  more 
completely  transformed  in  meaning  than  the  little  word 
idea.  Strange  to  say,  this  word  is  rarely  misapplied,  even 
in  conversation,  by  the  better  class  of  Americans.  English- 
men, whether  in  writing  or  [in]  speaking,  invariably  lose 
sight  of  the  true  meaning  of  the  word.  To  '  have  an  idea 
that  it  is  best  to  act  justly  on  all  occasions,'  is  a  barbarous 
misuse  of  a  word  which  [that]  is  very  expressive  and  beau- 
tiful as  used  by  our  old  writers.  Shakespeare  on  no  occa- 
sion, so  far  as  we  can  recollect,  uses  the  word  as  meaning 
an  opinion,  but  as  a  mental  vision." 

"  I  have  an  idea  [it  is  my  opinion,  or,  I  have  an  im- 
pression] that  you  had  better  wait  till  to-morrow." 

If.  "I  doubt  if  this  will  ever  reach  you":  say,  "I 
doubt  whether  this  will  ever  reach  you."  "  Go  and  see  if 
[whether]  he  has  come." 

IU.    See  Sick. 

Uly.  It  will  astonish  not  a  few  to  learn  that  there  is 
no  such  word  as  illy.  The  form  of  the  adverb,  as  well  as 
of  the  adjective  and  the  noun,  is  ill.  A  thing  is  *//  formed, 
or  ill  done,  or  ill  made,  or  ill  constructed,  or  ill  put  to- 
gether. 

9 


122  THE    VERBALIST. 

"  III  fares  the  land,  to  hastening  ills  a  prey, 
Where  wealth  accumulates  and  men  decay." 

Goldsmith. 

Immodest.  This  adjective  and  its  synonyms,  indecent 
and  indelicate,  are  often  used  without  proper  discrimination 
being  made  in  their  respective  meanings.  Indecency  and 
immodesty  are  opposed  to  morality  :  indecency  in  externals, 
as  dress,  words,  and  looks  ;  immodesty  in  conduct  and  dis- 
position. "  Indecency"  says  Crabb,  "  may  be  a  partial, 
immodesty  is  a  positive  and  entire,  breach  of  the  moral  law. 
Indecency  is  less  than  immodesty  but  more  than  indelicacy." 
It  is  indecent  for  a  man  to  marry  again  very  soon  after  the 
death  of  his  wife.  It  is  indelicate  for  any  one  to  obtrude 
himself  upon  another's  retirement.  It  is  indecent  for  wom- 
en to  expose  their  persons  as  do  some  that  we  can  not  call 
immodest. 

"Immodest  words  admit  of  no  defense, 
For  want  of  decency  is  want  of  sense." 

Earl  of  Roscommon. 

Imperfect  Tense,  misuse  of.  Few  errors  are  more 
frequently  made  than  that  of  using  the  imperfect  tense 
when  the  thought  requires  the  perfect. 

"  He  is  the  worst  boy  I  ever  saw  [have  seen]." 

"  You  never  saw  [have  seen]  such  an  excitement  as  it 
created." 

"  I  was  [have  been]  often  told  that  I  had  [have]  a  phe- 
nomenally large  head,  but  I  fancy  yours  is  larger." 

"  The  best  district  attorney  New  York  ever  had  [has 
had]  never  tried  [did  not  try]  Mr.  Dudley  under  the  in- 
dictment." 

"  One  of  the  most  extraordinary  psychological  phe- 
nomena that  ever  was  [has  been]  witnessed  among  man- 
kind." 


THE    VERBALIST. 


123 


"  Personally,  he  is  one  of  the  pleasantest  men  I  ever 
met  [have  met]." 

"  He  was  the  most  successful  merchant,  in  a  way,  the 
great  metropolis  ever  [has]  contained." 

"  The  court  officers  say  they  never  [have]  had  so  par- 
simonious a  prisoner  in  their  custody." 

"  One  of  the  finest  bucks  I  ever  [have]  killed  was  shot 
in  this  way." 

"  That's  the  brightest  woman  I  ever  [have]  met." 

"  I  never  knew  [have  known]  anything  so  provoking  "  ; 
better,  "  I  never  before  have  known,"  etc. 

"  Posterity  will  say  that  he  [Cobden]  was  one  of  the 
most  eminent  men  that  ever  [have]  adorned  the  Parliament 
of  this  country." — John  Bright.  This  great  master  of 
English,  it  will  be  observed,  says  "  men  that"  and  not 
" men  who" 

"Though  I  have  been  trained  as  a  soldier  and  [have] 
participated  in  many  battles,  there  never  was  [has  been]  a 
time  when,  in  my  opinion,  some  way  could  not  be  [have 
been]  found  of  preventing  [to  prevent]  the  drawing  of  the 
sword." — U.  S.  Grant. 

"  There  never  was  [has  been]  a  time  since  the  begin- 
ning of  the  Christian  era,  and  there  never  was  [has  been] 
a  country,  in  which  so  many  men  and  women,"  etc. — 
John  Bright. 

"  Mr.  Lincoln  was  a  keen  and  accurate  judge  of  char- 
acter, and  could  detect  fraud  and  imposture  as  readily  as 
any  man  I  ever  knew  [have  known]." 

"  I  never  [have]  heard  Mr.  Bright  beaten  in  repartee 
except  by  one  person,  and  that  was  by  a  bishop." — Cham- 
berlain.    This  might  be  correct. 

"  There  never  was  [has  been]  one  more  willing  to  go 
than  I  am." — Gen.  Grant. 


124 


THE    VERBALIST. 


"  lie  [Grant]  was  the  manliest  man  I  ever  knew  [have 
known]." — Com.  French. 

"  His  [Grant's]  was  one  of  the  happiest  dispositions  I 
ever  knew  [have  known]." — Gen.  Horace  Porter. 

Implicate.    See  Involve. 

Implicit.  Most  writers  use  this  adjective  in  what  is 
called  its  vulgar  sense — i.  e.,  in  the  sense  of  absolute,  un- 
questioning, unbounded,  etc. — as  in  such  phrases  as  "  im- 
plicit faith,"  "  implicit  confidence,"  "  implicit  obedience." 

Its  primitive  meaning  is  infolded,  entangled,  involved. 

Its  secondary,  metaphorical  meaning,  which  is  inferred  ; 
tacitly  comprised,  though  not  virtually  expressed,  is  the  mean- 
ing in  which  it  is  used  in  the  following  examples  : 

"An  implicit  [tacit,  virtual]  compact." 

"  To  make  explicit  what  is  implicit  in  thought  and  its 
expression  is  a  sign  of  intellectual  progress." 

"  The  author,  by  personally  sending  his  work,  or  by 
directing  his  accredited  agent,  the  publisher,  to  act  for  him, 
implicitly  enters  into  an  agreement  that  an  opinion  shall  be 
pronounced  ;  tacit  and  implied  only,  but  still  morally  bind- 

fog." 

"  Why  should  it  be  unnatural  to  suppose  that  speech  was 
at  first  implicitly  [virtually]  bestowed  on  us,  and  that  it  re- 
quired time  and  experience  to  develop  fully  the  implanted 
capacity?  " 

"  Tito's  implicit  [inferred?]  desires  were  working  them- 
selves out  now  in  very  explicit  thought." 

Impropriety.  As  a  rhetorical  term,  defined  as  an  error 
in  using  words  in  a  sense  different  from  their  recognized 
signification. 

Impute.  Nonpainstaking  writers  not  infrequently  use 
impute  instead  of  ascribe.  "  The  numbers  [of  blunders] 
that  have  been  imputed  to  him  are  endless." — Appletons' 


THE    VERBALIST. 


125 


Journal.  The  use  of  impute  in  this  sentence  is  by  no 
means  indefensible  ;  still  it  would  have  been  better  to  use 
ascribe. 

In.  Frequently  used  by  very  good  speakers  when  they 
should  use  into.  We  say  properly,  "  Come  in  "  and  "  Go 
in  "  ;  but  we  can  not  properly  say,  "  Come  in  the  house  " 
or  "  Go  in  the  house."  Here,  into  is  the  proper  word  to 
use.  We  put  into  boxes,  throw  into  the  water.  The  dis- 
tinction is  commonly  very  simple. 

In  our  midst.  The  phrases  in  our  midst,  in  your  midst, 
and  in  their  midst  are  said  to  be  of  recent  introduction. 
Though  they  have  been  used  by  some  writers  of  repute, 
they  nevertheless  find  no  favor  with  those  that  study  pro- 
priety in  the  use  of  language.  "  They,"  says  Webster's 
Dictionary,  "  are  contrary  to  the  genius  of  the  language 
as  well  as  opposed  to  the  practice  of  our  best  and  most  ac- 
curate writers,  and  should  therefore  be  abandoned." 

"  In  the  midst  of  them,"  on  the  contrary,  is  good  Eng- 
lish— is  an  old,  elegant,  and  honored  formula  of  the  lan- 
guage. 

In  respect  of.  "  The  deliberate  introduction  of  incor- 
rect forms,  whether  by  the  coinage  of  new  or  the  revival  of 
obsolete  and  inexpressive  syntactical  combinations,  ought 
to  be  resisted  even  in  trifles,  especially  where  it  leads  to 
the  confusion  of  distinct  ideas.  An  example  of  this  is  the 
recent  use  of  the  adverbial  phrases  in  respect  of,  in  regard 
of,  for  in  or  with  respect  to,  or  regard  to.  This  innovation 
is  without  any  syntactical  ground,  and  ought  to  be  con- 
demned and  avoided  as  a  mere  grammatical  crotchet." — 
George  P.  Marsh,  Lectures  on  the  English  Language,  p. 
660. 

Inaugurate.  This  word,  which  mean-,  to  install  in 
office  with  certain  ceremonies,  is  made  by  many  lovers  of 


126  THE    VERBALIST. 

big  words  to  do  service  for  begin  ;  but  the  sooner  these 
rhetorical  highfliers  stop  inaugurating  and  content  them- 
selves with  simply  beginning  the  things  they  are  called 
upon  to  do  in  the  ordinary  routine  of  daily  life,  the  sooner 
they  will  cease  to  set  a  very  bad  example. 

Indecent.    See  Immodest. 

Index  expurgatorius.  William  Cullen  Bryant,  who 
was  a  careful  student  of  English,  while  he  was  editor  of  the 
New  York  Evening  Post,  sought  to  prevent  the  writers 
for  that  paper  from  using  "over  and  above  (for  'more 
than  ')  ;  artiste  (for  '  artist ') ;  aspirant ;  authoress  ;  beat 
(for  '  defeat ')  ;  bagging  (for  '  capturing ') ;  balance  (for  '  re- 
mainder'); banquet  (for  'dinner'  or  'supper');  bogus; 
casket  (for  'coffin');  claimed  (for  'asserted');  collided; 
commence  (for  '  begin  ') ;  compete  ;  cortege  (for  '  proces- 
sion')  ;  cotemporary  (for  'contemporary');  couple  (for 
'  two ')  ;  darky  (for  '  negro ' )  ;  day  before  yesterday  (for 
'  the  day  before  yesterday  ') ;  debut ;  decrease  (as  a  verb) ; 
democracy  (applied  to  a  political  party)  ;  develop  (for  'ex- 
pose ')  ;  devouring  element  (for  '  fire ') ;  donate  ;  employe  ; 
enacted  (for  'acted');  indorse  (for  'approve');  en  route; 
esq. ;  graduate  (for  '  is  graduated  ')  ;  gents  (for  '  gentle- 
men') ;  'Hon.  House'  (for  'House  of  Representatives'); 
humbug  ;  inaugurate  (for  '  begin  ' ) ;  in  our  midst  ;  item  (for 
'particle,  extract,  or  paragraph');  is  being  done,  and  all 
passives  of  this  form  ;  jeopardize  ;  jubilant  (for  '  rejoicing  ') ; 
juvenile  (for  'boy');  lady  (for  'wife');  last  (for  'latest'); 
lengthy  (for  'long');  leniency  (for  'lenity');  loafer;  loan 
or  loaned  (for  '  lend  '  or  '  lent ')  ;  located  ;  majority  (relating 
to  places  or  circumstances,  for  'most');  Mrs.  President, 
Mrs.  Governor,  Mrs.  General,  and  all  similar  titles  ;  mutual 
(for  '  common  ')  ;  official  (for  '  officer ') ;  ovation  ;  on  yester- 
day ;  over  his  signature  ;  pants  (for  '  pantaloons ') ;  parties 


THE    VERBALIST. 


127 


(for  'persons');  partially  (for  'partly');  past  two  weeks 
(for  '  last  two  weeks,'  and  all  similar  expressions  relating  to 
a  definite  time) ;  poetess  ;  portion  (for  '  part ') ;  posted  (lor 
'  informed  ')  ;  progress  (for  '  advance  ') ;  reliable  (for  '  trust- 
worthy'); rendition  (for  'performance');  repudiate  (for 
'  reject '  or  'disown  ') ;  retire  (as  an  active  verb)  ;  Rev.  (for 
'  the  Rev.')  ;  role  (for  '  part ') ;  roughs  ;  rowdies  ;  secesh  ; 
sensation  (for  '  noteworthy  event ') ;  standpoint  (for  'point 
of  view ') ;  start,  in  the  sense  of  setting  out  ;  state  (for 
'  say ')  ;  taboo  ;  talent  (for  '  talents '  or  '  ability  ') ;  talented  ; 
tapis  ;  the  deceased  ;  war  (for  '  dispute  '  or  '  disagreement  ').'* 

This  index  is  offered  here  as  a  curiosity  rather  than  as  a 
guide,  though  in  the  main  it  might  safely  be  used  as  such. 
No  valid  reason,  however,  can  be  urged  for  discouraging 
the  use  of  several  words  in  the  list  ;  the  words  aspirant, 
banquet,  casket,  compete,  decrease,  progress,  start,  talented, 
and  deceased,  for  example. 

Indicative  and  Subjunctive.  "  '  I  see  the  signal,'  is 
unconditional ;  *  if  I  see  the  signal,'  is  the  same  fact  ex- 
pressed in  the  form  of  a  condition.  The  one  form  is  said 
to  be  in  the  indicative  mood,  the  mood  that  simply  states  or 
indicates  the  action  ;  the  other  form  is  in  the  subjunctive, 
conditional,  or  conjunctive  mood.  There  is  sometimes  a 
slight  variation  made  in  English,  to  show  that  an  affirma- 
tion is  made  as  a  condition.  The  mood  is  called  '  subjunc- 
tive,' because  the  affirmation  is  subjoined  to  another  affirma- 
tion :  '  If  I  sec  the  signal,  I  will  call  out.' 

"  Such  forms  as  '  I  may  see,'  '  I  can  see,'  have  some- 
times been  considered  as  a  variety  of  mood,  to  which  the 
name  '  Potential '  is  given  ;  but  this  can  not  properly  be 
maintained.  There  is  no  trace  of  any  inflection  corre- 
sponding to  this  meaning,  as  we  find  with  the  subjunctive. 
Moreover,  such  a  mood  would  have  itself  to  be  subdivided 


I28  THE    VERBALIST. 

into  indicative  and  subjunctive  forms  :  '  I  may.  go,'  '  If  I 
may  go.'  And,  further,  we  might  proceed  to  constitute 
other  moods  on  the  same  analogy,  as,  for  example,  an  ob- 
ligatory mood — '  I  must  go,'  or  '  I  ought  to  go' ;  a  mood 
of  resolution — '  I  will  go,' '  You  shall  go ' ;  a  mood  of  grati- 
fication— '  I  am  delighted  to  go';  of  deprecation — 'I  am 
grieved  to  go.'  The  only  difference  in  the  last  two  in- 
stances is  the  use  of  the  sign  of  the  infinitive  '  to,'  which 
does  not  occur  after  'may,'  'can,'  'must,'  'ought,'  etc.; 
but  that  is  not  an  essential  difference.  Some  grammarians 
consider  the  form  '  I  do  go '  a  separate  mood,  and  term  it 
the  emphatic  mood.  But  all  the  above  objections  apply  to 
it  likewise,  as  well  as  many  others." — Bain.  See  Subjunc- 
tive Mood. 

Individual.  Often  most  improperly  used  for  person 
or  man.     The  word  is  correctly  used  thus  : 

"  It  is  to  the  Germans  as  a  nation  that  I  object,  and  not 
as  individuals,  for  among  them  I  have  met  many  excellent 
persons." 

Some  examples  of  the  improper  use  of  the  word  are  the 
following  : 

"  That  individual  [person]  left  here  several  hours 
ago." 

"  Everything  around  betokened  the  habitation  of  an 
individual  [a  person]  of  taste." 

"  Who  can  believe  that  Petrarch's  passion  for  such  an 
individual  [a  person]  as  Laura  was  anything  but  a  con- 
venient hook  whereon  to  hang  a  splendid  work  of  art ! " 

"  Many  of  the  individuals  [men]  selected  by  Col. 
Strong  for  important  offices  might,"  etc. — N.  Y.  Sun. 

"  The  editor  is  expected  to  furnish  a  phrenograph  of 
some  distinguished  individual  [person]  every  month,"  etc. 

The  word  is  correctly  used  thus : 


THE    VERBALIST.  129 

"  Changes  both  in  individuals  and  communities  are 
often  produced  by  trifles." 

"  Events  affect  nations  and  communities  as  well  as  in- 
dividuals." 

"  To  know  this  is  to  rob  the  pestilence  of  some  of  the 
terrors  for  the  individual,  and  of  nearly  all  of  them  for  a 
community  with  Christian  ideas  of  cleanliness." — N.  Y. 
Times. 

Individual  means,  etymologically,  that  that  can  not  be 
divided,  and  is  used,  in  speaking  of  things  as  well  as  of  per- 
sons, to  express  unity.  It  is  opposed  to  what  is  divisible 
into  parts. 

Indorse.  Careful  writers  commonly  discountenance  the 
use  of  indorse  in  the  sense  of  sanction,  approve,  applaud. 
In  this  signification  it  is  on  the  list  of  prohibited  words  in 
some  of  our  newspaper  offices. 

"  The  following  rules  are  indorsed  by  nearly  all  writers 
upon  [on]  this  subject." — Dr.  Townsend.  It  is  plain  that 
the  right  word  to  use  here  is  approved. 

"  The  public  will  heartily  indorse  the  sentiments  uttered 
by  the  court."  —  New  York  Evening  Telegram.  "The 
public  will  heartily  approve  the  sentiments  expressed  by  the 
court,"  is  what  the  sentence  should  be. 

Inferior — Superior.  "An  inferior  person,"  a  "supe- 
rior woman,"  and  like  phrases,  are  grammatical,  are  per- 
haps idiomatic,  and  are  certainly  defended  ;  yet  the  fact 
remains  that  they  are  not  good  rhetoric.  It  is  doubtful 
whether  in  strictness  they  should  ever  be  used,  when  de- 
noting quality,  in  other  than  a  comparative  sense. 

Infinitive  Mood.  When  we  can  choose,  it  is  usually 
better  to  use  the  verb  in  the  infinitive  than  in  the  participial 
form.  "  Ability  being  in  general  the  power  of  doing,"  etc. 
Say,  to  do.     "  I  desire  to  reply  ...  to  the  proposal  of  sub- 


130 


THE    VERBALIST. 


stituting  a  tax  upon  land  values,  .  .  .  and  making  this  tax, 
as  near  [nearly]  as  may  be,  equal  to  rent,"  etc.  Say,  to 
substitute  and  to  make.  "  This  quality  is  of  prime  impor- 
tance when  the  chief  object  is  the  imparting  of  knowl- 
edge."    Say,  to  impart. 

Initiate.  This  is  a  pretentious  word  that,  with  its  deriv- 
atives, many  persons — especially  those  that  like  to  be  gran- 
diloquent— use  when  homely  English  would  serve  their  turn 
much  better. 

Innumerable  Number.  A  rcpetitional  expression  to 
be  avoided.  We  may  say  innumerable  times,  or  number- 
less times,  but  we  should  not  say  an  innumerable  number 
of  times. 

In  so  far  as.  A  phrase  often  met  with,  and  in  which 
the  in  is  superfluous.  "A  want  of  proper  opportunity 
would  suffice,  in  so  far  as  the  want  could  be  shown."  "We 
are  to  act  up  to  the  extent  of  our  knowledge ;  but,  in  so  far 
as  our  knowledge  falls  short,"  etc.  So  far  as  expresses  all 
that  is  meant. 

Intend.  This  word  is  often  employed  when  purpose 
would  better  express  the  thought.  We  purpose  seriously  ; 
we  intend  vaguely.  We  set  about  what  we  purpose  ;  we 
may  delay  what  we  only  intend.  An  intention,  therefore, 
is  weaker  than  a  purpose.  Purpose  is  the  proper  word  to 
use  when  the  object  is  proximate  and  definite  ;  intend,  when 
the  object  is  remote  and  indefinite. 

"  My  intention  at  present  is  to  spend  next  summer  at 
Newport,  but  between  now  and  then  I  may,  of  course, 
change  my  mind." 

"  This  is  my  last  day  in  town  ;  I  purpose  leaving  for 
home  in  the  morning."     See  Propose. 

Interrogation.  The  rhetorical  figure  that  asks  a  ques- 
tion in  order  to  emphasize  the  reverse  of  what  is  asked  is 


THE    VERBALIST.  131 

called  interrogation  ;  as,  "  Do  we  mean  to  submit  to  this 
measure  ?  Do  we  mean  to  submit,  and  consent  that  we  our- 
selves, our  country  and  its  rights,  shall  be  trampled  on?" 

"Doth  God  pervert  judgment?  or  doth  the  Almighty 
pervert  justice  ?  " 

Introduce.     See  Present. 

Involve.  Persons  that  are  not  careful  in  selecting  the 
words  they  use  sometimes  misuse  involve  for  implicate. 
Here  is  an  instance  : 

"  Further  developments  in  the  fraudulent  transactions  of 
a  number  of  the  employees  disclose  instances  of  dishonesty 
that  involve  [implicate]  several  prominent  individuals  [per- 
sons] connected  with  the  road." 

Involve  is  used  in  the  affairs  of  life  that  are  only  trouble- 
some ;  implicate  in  those  that  are  criminal.  Involve  is  cor- 
rectly used  thus  : 

"  Heavy  failure  in  Minnesota.  The  Mazeppa  Mill 
Company  suspends  ;  many  Eastern  men  involved." — N.  Y. 
Times. 

Irony.  That  mode  of  speech  in  which  what  is  meant 
is  contrary  to  the  literal  meaning  of  the  words — in  which 
praise  is  bestowed  when  censure  is  intended — is  called 
irony.  Irony  is  a  kind  of  delicate  sarcasm  or  satire — 
raillery,  mockery. 

"  In  writings  of  humor,  figures  are  sometimes  used  of  so 
delicate  a  nature  that  it  shall  often  happen  that  some  people 
will  see  things  in  a  direct  [directly]  contrary  sense  to  what 
the  author  and  the  majority  of  the  readers  understand  them  : 
to  such  the  most  innocent  irony  may  appear  irreligion." — 
Cambridge. 

Irritate.     See  Aggravate. 

Is  being.  A  tolerable  idea  of  the  state  of  the  discus- 
sion regarding  the  propriety  of  using  the  locution  is  being 


132  THE    VERBALIST. 

built,  and  all  like  expressions,  will,  it  is  hoped,  be  obtained 
from  the  following  extracts.  The  Rev.  Peter  Bullions,  in 
his  Grammar  of  the  English  Language,  says : 

"  There  is  properly  no  passive  form,  in  English,  corre- 
sponding to  the  progressive  form  in  the  active  voice,  except 
where  it  is  made  by  the  participle  ing,  in  a  passive  sense  ; 
thus,  '  The  house  is  building '  ;  '  The  garments  are  making ' ; 
'Wheat  is  selling,'  etc.  An  attempt  has  been  made  by 
some  grammarians,  of  late,  to  banish  such  expressions  from 
the  language,  though  they  have  been  used  in  all  time  past 
by  the  best  writers,  and  to  justify  and  defend  a  clumsy  sole- 
cism, which  has  been  recently  introduced  chiefly  through 
the  newspaper  press,  but  which  has  gained  such  currency, 
and  is  becoming  so  familiar  to  the  ear,  that  it  seems  likely 
to  prevail,  with  all  its  uncouthness  and  deformity.  I  refer 
to  such  expressions  as  'The  house  is  being  built';  'The 
letter  is  being  written';  'The  mine  is  being  worked'; 
'  The  news  is  being  telegraphed,'  etc. 

"  This  mode  of  expression  had  no  existence  in  the  lan- 
guage till  within  the  last  fifty  years*  This,  indeed,  would 
not  make  the  expression  wrong,  were  it  otherwise  unexcep- 
tionable ;  but  its  recent  origin  shows  that  it  is  not,  as  is 
pretended,  a  necessary  form. 

"  This  form  of  expression,  when  analyzed,  is  found  not 
to  express  what  it  is  intended  to  express,  and  would  be  used 
only  by  such  as  are  either  ignorant  of  its  import  or  are 
careless  and  loose  in  their  use  of  language.  To  make  this 
manifest,  let  it  be  considered,  first,  that  there  is  no  progress- 
ive form  of  the  verb  to  be,  and  no  need  of  it  ;  hence,  there 
is  no  such  expression  in  English  as  is  being.  Of  course  the 
expression  'is  being  built,'  for  example,  is  not  a  compound 
of  is  being  and  built,  but  of  is  and  being  built ;  that  is,  of 

*  Bullions'  Grammar  was  published  in  1867. 


THE    VERBALIST.  133 

the  verb  to  be  and  the  present  participle  passive.  Now, 
let  it  be  observed  that  the  only  verbs  in  which  the  present 
participle  passive  expresses  a  continued  action  are  those 
mentioned  above  as  the  first  class,  in  which  the  regular 
passive  form  expresses  a  continuance  of  the  action  ;  as,  is 
loved,  is  desired,  etc.,  and  in  which,  of  ccurse,  the  form  in 
question  (is  being  built)  is  not  required.  Nobody  would 
think  of  saying,  '  He  is  being  loved  '  ;  '  This  result  is  being 
desired.' 

"  The  use  of  this  form  is  justified  only  by  condemning 
an  established  usage  of  the  language  ;  namely,  the  passive 
sense  in  some  verbs  of  the  participle  in  ing.  In  reference- 
to  this  it  is  flippantly  asked,  'What  does  the  house  build? 
'What  does  the  letter  write?'  etc.— taking  for  granted, 
without  attempting  to  prove,  that  the  participle  in  ing  can 
not  have  a  passive  sense  in  any  verb.  The  following  are  a 
few  examples  from  writers  of  the  best  reputation,  which 
this  novelty  would  condemn  :  '  While  the  ceremony  was 
performing.' — Tom  Brown.  '  The  court  was  then  hold- 
ing.'—Sir  G.  McKenzie.  '  And  still  be  doing,  never  done.' 
— Butler.  '  The  books  are  selling.' — Allen's  Grammar. 
'  To  know  nothing  of  what  is  transacting  in  the  regions 
above  us.' — Dr.  Blair.  '  The  spot  where  this  new  and 
strange  tragedy  was  acting.' — E.  Everett.  '  The  fortress 
was  building.' — Irving.  '  An  attempt  is  making  in  the 
English  Parliament.'— D.  Webster.  'The  church  now 
erecting  in  the  city  of  New  York.' — North  Amer.  Review. 
*  These  things  were  transacting  in  England.' — Bancroft. 

"  This  new  doctrine  is  in  opposition  to  the  almost  unani- 
mous judgment  of  the  most  distinguished  grammarians  and 
critics  who  have  considered  the  subject  and  expressed 
their  views  concerning  it.  The  following  are  specimens  : 
'  Expressions  of  this  kind  are  condemned  by  some  critics  ; 


134 


THE    VERBALIST. 


but  the  usage  is  unquestionably  of  far  better  authority,  and 
(according  to  my  apprehension)  in  far  better  taste,  than  the 
more  complex  phraseology  which  some  late  writers  adopt 
in  its  stead  ;  as,  "  The  books  are  now  being  sold."  ' — Goold 
Brown.  '  As  to  the  notion  of  introducing  a  new  and  more 
complex  passive  form  of  conjugation,  as,  "  The  bridge  is 
being  built"  "  The  bridge  was  being  built"  and  so  forth,  it 
is  one  of  the  most  absurd  and  monstrous  innovations  ever 
thought  of.  "The  work  is  now  being  published"  is  cer- 
tainly no  better  English  than  "  The  work  was  being  pub- 
lished, has  been  being  published,  had  been  being  published, 
shall  or  will  be  being  published,  shall  or  will  have  been  being 
published,"  and  so  on  through  all  the  moods  and  tenses. 
What  a  language  shall  we  have  when  our  verbs  are  thus 
conjugated  !' — Brown's  Gr.  of  Eng.  Gr.,  p.  361.  De  War 
observes  :  '  The  participle  in  ing  is  also  passive  in  many 
instances  ;  as,  "  The  house  is  building,"  "  I  heard  of  a 
plan  forming,"'  etc. — Quoted  in  Frazee's  Grammar,  p.  49. 
'  It  would  be  an  absurdity,  indeed,  to  give  up  the  only 
way  we  have  of  denoting  the  incomplete  state  of  action  by 
a  passive  form  (viz.,  by  the  participle  in  ing  in  the  passive 
sense).' — Arnold's  English  Grammar,  p.  46.  '  The  present 
participle  is  often  used  passively  ;  as,  "The  ship  is  build- 
ing." The  form  of  expression,  is  being  built,  is  being  com- 
mitted, etc.,  is  almost  universally  condemned  by  gram- 
marians, but  it  is  sometimes  met  with  in  respectable 
writers.  It  occurs  most  frequently  in  newspaper  paragraphs 
and  in  hasty  compositions.  See  Worcester's  Universal  and 
Critical  Dictionary.' — Weld's  Grammar,  pp.  118  and  180. 
'  When  we  say,  "  The  house  is  building,"  the  advocates  of 
the  new  theory  ask,  "  Building  what  ?  "  We  might  ask,  in 
turn,  when  you  say,  "The  field  plows  well" — "Plows 
what?"     "Wheat  sells   well  "— "  Sells  what?"     If  usage 


THE    VERBALIST.  135 

allows  us  to  say,  "Wheat  sells  at  a  dollar,"  in  a  sense  that 
is  not  active,  why  may  we  not  say,  "Wheat  is  selling  at  a 
dollar,"  in  a  sense  that  is  not  active? '—Hart's  Grammar, 
p.  76.  '  The  prevailing  practice  of  the  best  authors  is  in 
favor  of  the  simple  form  ;  as,  "  The  house  is  building."  '— 
Wells'  School  Grammar,  p.  148.  '  Several  other  expres- 
sions of  this  sort  now  and  then  occur,  such  as  the  new- 
fangled and  most  uncouth  solecism  "  is  being  done,"  for  the 
good  old  English  idiom  "is  doing"— an  absurd  periphrasis 
driving  out  a  pointed  and  pithy  turn  of  the  English  lan- 
guage.'— North  Amer.  Review,  quoted  by  Mr.  Wells,  p.  148. 
'  The  phrase  "  is  being  built,"  and  others  of  a  similar  kind, 
have  been  for  a  few  years  insinuating  themselves  into  our 
language  ;  still  they  are  not  English.' — Harrison's  Rise, 
Progress,  and  Present  Structure  of  the  English  Language. 
4  This  mode  of  expression  [the  house  is  being  built]  is  be- 
coming quite  common.  It  is  liable,  however,  to  several 
important  objections.  It  appears  formal  and  pedantic.  It 
has  not,  as  far  as  I  know,  the  support  of  any  respectable 
grammarian.  The  easy  and  natural  expression  is,  "  The 
house  is  building  "  ' — Prof.  J.  W.  Gibbs." 

Mr.  Richard  Grant  White,  in  his  Words  and  Their 
Uses,  expresses  his  opinion  of  the  locution  is  being  in  this 
wise  :  "  In  bad  eminence,  at  the  head  of  those  intruders  in 
language  which  to  many  persons  seem  to  be  of  established 
respectability,  but  the  right  of  which  to  be  at  all  is  not  fully 
admitted,  stands  out  the  form  of  speech  is  being  done,  or 
rather,  is  being,  which,  about  seventy  or  eighty  years  ago, 
began  to  affront  the  eye,  torment  the  ear,  and  assault  the 
common  sense  of  the  speaker  of  plain  and  idiomatic  Eng- 
lish." Mr.  White  devotes  thirty  pages  of  his  book  to  the 
discussion  of  the  subject,  and  adduces  evidence  that  is 
more  than  sufficient  to  convince  those  that  are  content  with 


I36  THE    VERBALIST. 

an  ex  parte  examination  that  "  it  can  hardly  be  that  such 
an  incongruous  and  ridiculous  form  of  speech  as  is  being 
done  was  contrived  by  a  man  who,  by  any  stretch  of  the 
name,  should  be  included  among  grammarians." 

Mr.  George  P.  Marsh,  in  his  Lectures  on  the  English 
Language,  says  that  the  deviser  of  the  locution  in  question 
was  "  some  grammatical  pretender,"  and  that  it  is  "  an 
awkward  neologism  which  neither  convenience,  intelli- 
gibility, nor  syntactical  congruity  demands." 

To  these  gentlemen,  and  to  those  that  are  of  their  way 
of  thinking  with  regard  to  is  being,  Dr.  Fitzedward  Hall 
replies  at  some  length,  in  an  article  published  in  Scribner's 
Monthly  for  April,  1S72.     Dr.  Hall  writes  : 

"  '  All  really  well  educated  in  the  English  tongue  lament 
the  many  innovations  introduced  into  our  language  from 
America ;  and  I  doubt  if  more  than  one  of  these  novelties 
deserve  acceptation.  That  one  is,  substituting  a  compound 
participle  for  an  active  verb  used  in  a  neuter  signification  : 
for  instance,  "  The  house  is  being  built,"  instead  of,  "  The 
house  is  building."  Such  is  the  assertion  and  such  is  the 
opinion  of  some  anonymous  luminary,*  who,  for  his  liber- 
ality in  welcoming  a  supposed  Americanism,  is  somewhat 
in  advance  of  the  herd  of  his  countrymen.  Almost  any 
popular  expression  which  is  considered  as  a  novelty,  a 
Briton  is  pretty  certain  to  assume  off-hand  to  have  origi- 
nated on  our  side  of  the  Atlantic.  Of  the  assertion  I  have 
quoted,  no  proof  is  offered  ;  and  there  is  little  probability 
that  its  author  had  any  to  offer.  '  Are  being,'  in  the  phrase 
'  are  being  thrown  up,'  f  is  spoken  of  in  The  North  Ameri- 

*  "  L.  W.  K.,  CLK.,  LL.  D.,  EX.  SCH.,  T.  C,  D.  Of  this  reverend 
gentleman's  personality  I  know  nothing.  He  does  not  say  exactly 
what  he  means;  but  what  he  means  is,  yet,  unnistakable.  The  ex- 
tract given  above  is  from  Public  Opinion,  January  20,  1866." 

t  "  The  analysis,  taken  for  granted  in  this  quotation,  of  '  are  being 


THE    VERBALIST. 


137 


can  Review*  as  'an  outrage  upon  English  idiom,  "  to  be 
detested,  abhorred,  execrated,  and  given  over  to  six  thou- 
sand "  penny-paper  editors ' ;  and  the  fact  is,  that  phrases 
of  the  form  here  pointed  at  have  hitherto  enjoyed  very 
much  less  favor  with  us  than  with  the  English. 

"As  lately  as  1S60,  Dr.  Worcester,  referring  to  is  being 
built,  etc.,  while  acknowledging  that  '  this  new  form  has 
been  used  by  some  respectable  writers,'  speaks  of  it  as  hav- 
ing '  been  introduced '  '  within  a  few  years.'  Mr.  Richard 
Grant  White,  by  a  most  peculiar  process  of  ratiocination, 
endeavors  to  prove  that  what  Dr.  Worcester  calls  '  this  new 
form  '  came  into  existence  just  fifty-six  years  ago.  He  pre- 
mises that  in  Jarvis's  translation  of  Don  Quixote,  published 
in  1742,  there  occurs  'were  carrying,'  and  that  this,  in  the 
edition  of  181S,  is  sophisticated  into  '  were  being  carried.' 
'  This  change,'  continues  our  logician,  '  and  the  appearance 
of  is  being  with  a  perfect  participle  in  a  very  few  books  pub- 
lished between  A.  D.  1815  and  1820,  indicate  the  former 
period  as  that  of  the  origin  of  this  phraseology,  which, 
although  more  than  half  a  century  old,  is  still  pronounced 
a  novelty  as  well  as  a  nuisance.' 

"Who,  in  the  next  place,  devised  our  modern  imper- 
fects passive?  The  question  is  not,  originally,  of  my  ask- 
ing ;  but,  as  the  learned  are  at  open  feud  on  the  subject, 
it  should  not  be  passed  by  in  silence.  Its  deviser  is,  more 
than  likely,  as  undiscoverable  as  the  name  of  the  valiant 
antediluvian  who  first  tasted  an  oyster.  But  the  deductive 
character  of  the  miscreant  is  another  thing  ;  and  hereon  there 
is  a  war  between  the  philosophers.  Mr.  G.  P.  Marsh,  as  if 
he  had  actually  spotted  the  wretched  creature,  passionately 

thrown  up '  into  '  are  being '  and  '  thrown  up '  will  be  dealt  with  in  the 
sequel,  and  shown  to  be  untenable." 
*  "  Vol.  xlv,  p.  504  (1837)." 
IO 


138 


THE    VERBALIST. 


and  categorically  denounces  him  as  '  some  grammatical  pre- 
tender.' '  But,'  replies  Mr.  White,  '  that  it  is  the  work  of 
any  grammarian  is  more  than  doubtful.  Grammarians, 
with  all  their  faults,  do  not  deform  language  with  fantas- 
tic solecisms,  or  even  seek  to  enrich  it  with  new  and  start- 
ling verbal  combinations.  They  rather  resist  novelty,  and 
devote  themselves  to  formulating  that  which  use  has  already 
established.'  In  the  same  page  with  this,  Mr.  White  com- 
pliments the  great  unknown  as  '  some  precise  and  feeble- 
minded soul,'  and  elsewhere  calls  him  'some  pedantic 
writer  of  the  last  generation.'  To  add  even  one  word 
toward  a  solution  of  the  knotty  point  here  indicated  tran- 
scends, I  confess,  my  utmost  competence.  It  is  painful  to 
picture  to  one's  self  the  agonizing  emotions  with  which  cer- 
tain philologists  would  contemplate  an  authentic  effigy  of 
the  Attila  of  speech  who,  by  his  is  being  built  or  is  being 
done,  first  offered  violence  to  the  whole  circle  of  the  pro- 
prieties. So  far  as  I  have  observed,  the  first  grammar  that 
exhibits  them  is  that  of  Mr.  R.  S.  Skillern,  M.  A.,  the 
first  edition  of  which  was  published  at  Gloucester  in  1802. 
Robert  Southey  had  not,  on  the  gth  of  October,  1795,  been 
out  of  his  minority  quite  two  months  when,  evidently  de- 
livering himself  in  a  way  that  had  already  become  familiar 
enough,  he  wrote  of  '  a  fellow  whose  uttermost  upper  grinder 
is  being  torn  out  by  the  roots  by  a  mutton-fisted  barber.'  * 
This  is  in  a  letter.  But  repeated  instances  of  the  same 
kind  of  expression  are  seen  in  Southey *s  graver  writings. 
Thus,  in  his  Colloquies,  etc.,  f  we  read  of  '  such  [nunneries] 
as  at  this  time  are  being  re-established.' 

*  "  The  Life  and  Correspondence  of  the  late  Robert  Southey,  vol. 
i,  p.  249." 

t  "  Vol.  i,  p.  338.  '  A  student  who  is  being  crammed''  ;  '  that 
verb  is  eternally  being  declined.'— The  Doctor,  pp.  38  and  40  (mono- 
tome  ed.)." 


THE    VERBALIST.  139 

"'While  my  hand  was  being  drest  by  Mr.  Young,  I 
spoke  for  the  first  time,'  wrote  Coleridge,  in  March,  1797. 

"  Charles  Lamb  speaks  of  realities  which  '  are  being 
acted  before  us,'  and  of  '  a  man  who  is  being  strangled.' 

"  Walter  Savage  Landor,  in  an  imaginary  conversation, 
represents  Pitt  as  saying :  '  The  man  who  possesses  them 
may  read  Swedeiiborg  and  Kant  while  he  is  being  tossed  in 
a  blanket.'  Again :  '  I  have  seen  nobles,  men  and  women, 
kneeling  in  the  street  before  these  bishops,  when  no  cere- 
mony of  the  Catholic  Church  was  being  performed.'  Also, 
in  a  translation  from  Catullus:  'Some  criminal  is  being 
tried  for  murder.' 

"  Nor  does  Mr.  De  Quincey  scruple  at  such  English  as 
'  made  and  being  made,'  '  the  bride  that  was  being  married 
to  him,'  and  '  the  shafts  of  heaven  were  even  now  being 
forged.'  On  one  occasion  he  writes,  '  Not  done,  not  even 
(according  to  modern  purism)  being  done '  ;  as  if  '  purism ' 
meant  exactness  rather  than  the  avoidance  of  neoterism. 

"  I  need  surely  name  no  more,  among  the  dead,  who 
found  is  being  built,  or  the  like,  acceptable.  '  Simple- 
minded  common  people  and  those  of  culture  were  alike 
protected  against  it  by  their  attachment  to  the  idiom  of 
their  mother  tongue,  with  which  they  felt  it  to  be  directly 
at  variance.'  So  Mr.  White  informs  us.  But  the  writers 
whom  I  have  quoted  are  formidable  exceptions.  Even 
Mr.  White  will  scarcely  deny  to  them  the  title  of '  people 
of  culture.' 

"So  much  for  offenders  past  repentance;  and  we  all 
know  that  the  sort  of  phraseology  under  consideration  is 
daily  becoming  more  and  more  common.  The  best  written 
of  the  English  reviews,  magazines,  and  journals  are  perpet- 
ually marked  by  it,  and  some  of  the  choicest  of  living 
English    writers    employ    it    freely.      Among  these,    it    is 


140 


THE    VERBALIST. 


enough  if  I  specify  Bishop  Wilberforce  and  Mr.  Charles 
Reade.  * 

"Extracts  from  Bishop  Jewel  downward  being  also 
given,  Lord  Macaulay,  Mr.  Dickens,  The  Atlantic  Monthly, 
and  The  Brooklyn  Eagle  are  alleged  by  Mr.  White  in  proof 
that  people  still  use  such  phrases  as  '  Chelsea  Hospital  was 
building?  and  '  the  train  was  preparing'  '  Hence  we  see,' 
he  adds,  f  '  that  the  form  is  being  done,  is  being  made,  is 
being  built,  lacks  the  support  of  authoritative  usage  from 
the  period  of  the  earliest  classical  English  to  the  present 
day.'  I  fully  concur  with  Mr.  White  in  regarding  '  neither 
The  Brooklyn  Eagle  nor  Mr.  Dickens  as  a  very  high 
authority  in  the  use  of  language  ' ;  yet,  when  he  has  re- 
nounced the  aid  of  these  contemned  straws,  what  has  he  to 
rest  his  inference  on,  as  to  the  present  day,  but  the  practice 
of  Lord  Macaulay  and  The  Atlantic  Monthly  ?  Those 
who  think  fit  will  bow  to  the  dictatorship  here  prescribed 
to  them  ;  but  there  may  be  those  with  whom  the  classic 
sanction  of  Southey,  Coleridge,  and  Landor  will  not  be 
wholly  void  of  weight.  All  scholars  are  aware  that,  to 
convey  the  sense  of  the  imperfects  passive,  our  ancestors 
centuries  ago  prefixed  with  is,  etc.,  in,  afterward  corrupted 
into  a,  to  a  verbal  substantive.  '  The  house  is  in  building' 
could  be  taken  to  mean  nothing  but  ades  adijicantur ; 
and  when  the  in  gave  place  to  a,  \  it  was  still  manifest 
enough,  from  the  context,  that  building  was  governed  by  a 
preposition.  The  second  stage  of  change,  however — namely, 

*  "  In  Put  Yourself  in  his  Place,  chap,  x,  he  writes  :  '  She  basked 
in  the  present  delight,  and  looked  as  if  she  was  being  taken  to  heaven 
by  an  angel.'  " 

+  "  Words,  etc.,  p.  340." 

%  "  Thomas  Fuller  writes  :  '  At  his  arrival,  the  last  stake  of  the 
Christians  was  on  losing.' — The  Historie  of  the  Holy  Warre,  p.  218 
(ed.  1647)." 


THE    VERBALIST. 


141 


when  the  a  was  omitted — entailed  in  many  cases  great 
danger  of  confusion.  In  the  early  part  of  the  last  century, 
when  English  was  undergoing  what  was  then  thought  to 
be  purification,  the  polite  world  substantially  resigned  is 
a-building  to  the  vulgar.  Toward  the  close  of  the  same 
century,  when,  under  the  influence  of  free  thought,  it  began 
to  be  felt  that  even  ideas  had  a  right  to  faithful  and 
unequivocal  representation,  a  just  resentment  of  ambiguity 
was  evidenced  in  the  creation  of  is  being  built.  The  lament 
is  too  late  that  the  instinct  of  reformation  did  not  restore 
the  old  form.  It  has  gone  forever,  and  we  are  now  to 
make  the  best  of  its  successors.  '  "  The  brass  is  forging,"' 
in  the  opinion  of  Dr.  Johnson,  is  '  a  vicious  expression, 
probably  corrupted  from  a  phrase  more  pure  but  now 
somewhat  obsolete,  ..."  the  brass  is  a-forg  i>ig."  '  Yet, 
with  a  true  Tory's  timidity  and  aversion  to  change,  it  is 
not  surprising  that  he  went  on  preferring  what  he  found 
established,  vicious  as  it  confessedly  was,  to  the  end.  But 
was  the  expression  '  vicious '  solely  because  it  was  a  cor- 
ruption? In  1787  William  Beckford  wrote  as  follows  of 
the  fortune-tellers  of  Lisbon:  '/  saw  one  dragging  into 
light,  as  I  passed  by  the  ruins  of  a  palace  thrown  down  by 
the  earthquake.  Whether  a  familiar  of  the  Inquisition 
was  griping  her  in  his  clutches,  or  whether  she  was  taking 
to  account  by  some  disappointed  votary,  I  will  not  pretend  to 
answer.'  Are  the  expressions  here  italicized  either  per- 
spicuous or  graceful  ?  Whatever  we  are  to  have  in  their 
place,  we  should  be  thankful  to  get  quit  of  them. 

"  Inasmuch  as,  concurrently  with  building  for  the  active 
participle,  and  being  built  for  the  corresponding  passive 
participle,  we  possessed  the  former,  with  is  prefixed,  as  the 
active  present  imperfect,  it  is  in  rigid  accordance  with  the 
symmetry  of  our  verb  that,  to  construct  the  passive  present- 


142 


THE    VERTAIJST. 


imperfect,  we  prefix  is  to  the  latter,  producing  the  form  is 
bring  built.  Such,  in  its  greatest  simplicity,  is  the  pro- 
cedure which,  as  will  be  seen,  has  provoked  a  very  levanter 
of  ire  and  vilification.  But  anything  that  is  new  will  be 
excepted  to  by  minds  of  a  certain  order.  Their  tremulous 
and  impatient  dread  of  removing  ancient  landmarks  even 
disqualifies  them  for  thoroughly  investigating  its  character 
and  pretensions.  In  has  built  and  will  build,  we  find  the 
active  participle  perfect  and  the  active  infinitive  subjoined 
to  auxiliaries  ;  and  so,  in  has  been  built  and  %vill  be  built, 
the  passive  participle  perfect  and  the  passive  infinitive  are 
subjoined  to  auxiliaries.  In  is  building  and  is  being  built, 
we  have,  in  strict  harmony  with  the  constitution  of  the  per- 
fect and  future  tenses,  an  auxiliary  followed  by  the  active 
participle  present  and  the  passive  participle  present.  Built 
is  determined  as  active  or  passive  by  the  verbs  which  qualify 
it,  have  and  be ;  and  the  grammarians  are  right  in  consid- 
ering it,  when  embodied  in  has  built,  as  active,  since  its 
analogue,  embodied  in  has  been  built,  is  the  exclusively 
passive  been  built.  Besides  this,  has  been  +  built  would 
signify  something  like  has  existed,  built,*  which  is  plainly 
neuter.  We  are  debarred,  therefore,  from  such  an  analysis  ; 
and,  by  parity  of  reasoning,  we  may  not  resolve  is  being 
built  into  is  being  +  built.  It  must  have  been  an  inspira- 
tion of  analogy,  felt  or  unfelt,  that  suggested  the  form  I 
am  discussing.  Is  being  +  built,  as  it  can  mean,  pretty 
nearly,  only  exists,  built,  would  never  have  been  proposed 
as  adequate  to  convey  any  but  a  neuter  sense  ;  whereas  it 
was  perfectly  natural  for  a  person  aiming  to  express  a  pas- 
sive sense  to  prefix  is  to  the  passive  concretion  being  built,  f 

*"  I  express  myself  in  this  manner  because  I  distinguish  between 
be  and  ejrist." 

t  "  Samuel  Richardson  writes  :  '  Jenny,  who  attends  me  here,  has 


THE    VERBALIST. 


143 


"  The  analogical  justification  of  is  being  built  which  I 
have  brought  forward  is  so  obvious  that,  as  it  occurred  to 
myself  more  than  twenty  years  ago,  so  it  must  have  occurred 
spontaneously  to  hundreds  besides.  It  is  very  singular  that 
those  who,  like  Mr.  Marsh  and  Mr.  White,  have  pondered 
long  and  painfully  over  locutions  typified  by  is  being  built, 
should  have  missed  the  real  ground  of  their  grammatical 
defensibleness,  and  should  have  warmed  themselves,  in  their 
opposition  to  them,  into  uttering  opinions  which  no  calm 
judgment  can  accept. 

"  '  One  who  is  being  beaten  '  is,  to  Archbishop  Whately, 
'  uncouth  English.'  '  "  The  bridge  is  being  built,"  and  other 
phrases  of  the  like  kind,  have  pained  the  eye  '  of  Mr.  David 
Booth.  Such  phrases,  according  to  Mr.  M.  Harrison,  'are 
not  English.'  To  Prof.  J.  W.  Gibbs  '  this  mode  of  ex- 
pression .  .  .  appears  formal  and  pedantic  ' ;  and  '  the  easy 
and  natural  expression  is  "The  house  is  building." '  *  In 
all  this  little  or  nothing  is  discernible  beyond  sheer  preju- 
dice, the  prejudice  of  those  who  resolve  to  take  their  stand 
against  an  innovation,  regardless  of  its  utility,  and  who  are 
ready  to  find  an  argument  against  it  in  any  random  epithet 
of  disparagement  provoked  by  unreasoning  aversion.  And 
the  more  recent  denouncers  in  the  same  line  have  no  more 
reason  on  their  side  than  their  elder  brethren. 

"  In  Mr.  Marsh's  estimation,  is  being  built  illustrates 
'  corruption  of  language  ' ;  it  is  '  clumsy  and  unidiomatic  ' ; 

more  than  once  hinted  to  me  that  Miss  Jervis  loves  to  sit  up  late, 
either  reading  or  being  read  to  by  Anne,  who,  though  she  reads  well, 
is  not  fond  of  the  task.' — Sir  Charles  Grandison,  vol.  iii,  p.  46  (ed. 

1754)- 

"  The  transition  is  very  slight  by  which  we  pass  from  '  sits  being 

read  to  '  to  '  is  being  read  to.'  " 

*  "  I  am  here  indebted  to  the  last  edition  of  Dr.  Worcester's  Dic- 
tionary, preface,  p.  xxxix." 


144 


THE    VERBALIST. 


it  is  '  at  best  but  a  philological  coxcombry ' ;  it  '  is  an  awk- 
ward neologism,  which  neither  convenience,  intelligibility, 
nor  syntactical  congruity  demands,  and  the  use  of  which 
ought  therefore  to  be  discountenanced  as  an  attempt  at  the 
artificial  improvement  of  the  language  in  a  point  which 
needed  no  amendment.'  Again  :  '  To  reject '  is  building  in 
favor  of  the  modern  phrase  '  is  to  violate  the  laws  of  lan- 
guage by  an  arbitrary  change  ;  and  in  this  particular  case 
the  proposed  substitute  is  at  war  with  the  genius  of  the 
English  tongue.'  Mr.  Marsh  seems  to  have  fancied  that 
wherever  he  points  out  a  beauty  in  is  building,  he  points 
out,  inclusively,  a  blemish  in  is  being  built. 

"  The  fervor  and  feeling  with  which  Mr.  White  ad- 
vances to  the  charge  are  altogether  tropical.  '  The  full  ab- 
surdity of  this  phrase,  the  essence  of  its  nonsense,  seems 
not  to  have  been  hitherto  pointed  out.'  It  is  not  '  consist- 
ent with  reason ' ;  and  it  is  not  '  conformed  to  the  normal 
development  of  the  language.'  It  is  'a  monstrosity,  the 
illogical,  confusing,  inaccurate,  unidiomatic  character  of 
which  I  have  at  some  length,  but  yet  imperfectly,  set  forth.' 
Finally,  '  In  fact  it  means  nothing,  and  is  the  most  incon- 
gruous combination  of  words  and  ideas  that  ever  attained 
respectable  usage  in  any  civilized  language.'  These  be 
'  prave  'ords '  ;  and  it  seems  a  pity  that  so  much  sterling 
vituperative  ammunition  should  be  expended  in  vain.  And 
that  it  is  so  expended  thinks  Mr.  White  himself ;  for, 
though  passing  sentence  in  the  spirit  of  a  Jeffreys,  he  is  not 
really  on  the  judgment-seat,  but  on  the  lowest  hassock  of 
despair.  As  concerns  the  mode  of  expression  exemplified 
by  is  being  built,  he  owns  that  '  to  check  its  diffusion  would 
be  a  hopeless  undertaking.'  If  so,  why  not  reserve  him- 
self for  service  against  some  evil  not  avowedly  beyond 
remedy  ? 


THE    VERBALIST. 


145 


"  Again  we  read :  '  Some  precise  and  feeble-minded 
soul,  having  been  taught  that  there  is  a  passive  voice  in 
English,  and  that,  for  instance,  building  is  an  active  parti- 
ciple, and  builded  or  built  a  passive,  felt  conscientious 
scruples  at  saying  "  The  house  is  building."  For  what  could 
the  house  build?'  As  children  say  at  play,  Mr.  White 
burns  here.  If  it  had  occurred  to  him  that  the  'conscien- 
tious scruples  '  of  his  hypothetical,  '  precise,  and  feeble- 
minded soul '  were  roused  by  been  built,  not  by  built,  I  sus- 
pect his  chapter  on  is  being  built  would  have  been  much 
shorter  than  it  is  at  present,  and  very  different.  '  The 
fatal  absurdity  in  this  phrase  consists,'  he  tells  us,  '  in  the 
combination  of  is  with  being  ;  in  the  making  of  the  verb  to 
be  a  supplement,  or,  in  grammarians'  phrase,  an  auxiliary 
to  itself — an  absurdity  so  palpable,  so  monstrous,  so  ridicu- 
lous, that  it  should  need  only  to  be  pointed  out  to  be 
scouted.'*  Lastly,  '  The  question  is  thus  narrowed  simply 
to  this,  Does  to  be  being  (esse  ens)  mean  anything  more  or 
other  than  to  be?' 

"  Having  convicted  Mr.  White  of  a  mistaken  analysis,  I 
am  not  concerned  with  the  observations  which  he  founds 
on  his  mistake.  However,  even  if  his  analysis  had  been 
correct,  some  of  his  arguments  would  avail  him  nothing. 
For  instance,  is  being  built,  on  his  understanding  of  it,  that 
is  to  say,  is  being  +  built,  he  represents  by  ens  ccdificatus  est, 
as  '  the  supposed  corresponding  Latin  phrase.'  f    The  Latin 

*  '"Words  and  their  Uses,'  p.  353." 

t  "  '  //  is  being  is  simply  equal  to  it  is.  And,  in  the  supposed  cor- 
responding Latin  phrases,  ens  /actus  est,  ens  cedificatus  est  (the  obso- 
leteness of  ens  as  a  participle  being  granted),  the  monstrosity  is  not  in 
the  use  of  ens  with  /actus,  but  in  that  of  ens  with  est.  The  absurdity 
is,  in  Latin,  just  what  it  is  in  English,  the  use  of  tfwith  being,  the  making 
of  the  verb  to  be  a  complement  to  itself.' — Ibid.,  pp.  354,  355. 

"  Apparently  Mr.  White  recognizes  no  more  difference  between  sup- 


I46  THE    VERBALIST. 

is  illegitimate,  and  he  infers  that  therefore  the  English  is 
the  same.  But  adificans  est,  a  translation,  on  the  model 
which  he  offers,  of  the  active  is  building,  is  quite  as  illegiti- 
mate as  ens  eedificatus  est.  By  parity  of  non-sequitur ,  we 
are  therefore  to  surrender  the  active  is  building.  Assume 
that  a  phrase  in  a  given  language  is  indefensible  unless  it 
has  its  counterpart  in  some  other  language  ;  from  the  very 
conception  and  definition  of  an  idiom  every  idiom  is  ille- 
gitimate. 

"  I  now  pass  to  another  point.  '  To  be  and  to  exist  are,' 
to  Mr.  White's  apprehension,  '  perfect  synonyms,  or  more 
nearly  perfect,  perhaps,  than  any  two  verbs  in  the  language. 
In  some  of  their  meanings  there  is  a  shade  of  difference, 
but  in  others  there  is  none  whatever  ;  and  the  latter  are 
those  which  serve  our  present  purpose.  When  we  say, 
"  He,  being  forewarned  of  danger,  fled,"  we  say,  "  He,  ex- 
isting forewarned  of  danger,  fled."  When  we  say  that  a 
thing  is  done,  we  say  that  it  exists  done.  .  .  .  Is  being  done 
is  simply  exists  existing  done.'  But,  since  is  and  exists  are 
equipollent,  and  so  being  and  existing,  is  being  is  the  same 
as  the  unimpeachable  is  existing.  Q.  non  E.  D.  Is  existing 
ought,  of  course,  to  be  no  less  objectionable  to  Mr.  White 
than  is  being.  Just  as  absurd,  too,  should  he  reckon  the 
Italian  sono  stato,  era  slato,  sia  stato,  fossi  stato,  saro  stato, 
sarei  stato,  essere  stato,  and  essendo  stato.  For  in  Italian 
both  essere  and  stare  are  required  to  make  up  the  verb  sub- 
stantive, as  in  Latin  both  esse  and  the  offspring  of  fucre  are 
required  ;  and  stare,  primarily  '  to  stand,'  is  modified  into 
a  true  auxiliary.  The  alleged  '  full  absurdity  of  this  phrase,' 
to  wit,  is  being  built,  '  the  essence  of  its  nonsense,'  vanishes 
thus  into  thin  air.     So  I  was  about  to  comment  bluntly,  not 


plement  and  complement  than  he  recognizes  between  be  and  exist. 
See  the  extract  I  have  made  above,  from  p.  353." 


THE    VERBALIST.  1 47 

forgetting  to  regret  that  any  gentleman's  cultivation  of 
logic  should  fructify  in  the  shape  of  irrepressible  tendencies 
to  suicide.  But  this  would  be  precipitate.  Agreeably  to 
one  of  Mr.  White's  judicial  placita,  which  I  make  no 
apology  for  citing  twice,  '  no  man  who  has  preserved  all  his 
senses  will  doubt  for  a  moment  that  "  to  exist  a  mastiff  or  a 
mule "  is  absolutely  the  same  as  "  to  be  a  mastiff  or  a 
mule." '  Declining  to  admit  their  identity,  I  have  not  pre- 
served all  my  senses  ;  and,  accordingly— though  it  may  be 
in  me  the  very  superfetation  of  lunacy — I  would  caution 
the  reader  to  keep  a  sharp  eye  on  my  arguments,  hereabouts 
particularly.  The  Cretan  who,  in  declaring  all  Cretans  to 
be  liars,  left  the  question  of  his  veracity  doubtful  to  all 
eternity,  fell  into  a  pit  of  his  own  digging.  Not  unlike 
the  unfortunate  Cretan,  Mr.  White  has  tumbled  headlong 
into  his  own  snare.  It  was,  for  the  rest,  entirely  unavail- 
ing that  he  insisted  on  the  insanity  of  those  who  should 
gainsay  his  fundamental  postulate.  Sanity,  of  a  crude  sort, 
may  accept  it ;  and  sanity  may  put  it  to  a  use  other  than 
its  propounder's. 

"  Mr.  Marsh,  after  setting  forth  the  all-sufficiency  of  is 
building,  in  the  passive  sense,  goes  on  to  say :  '  The  re- 
formers who  object  to  the  phrase  I  am  defending  must,  in 
consistency,  employ  the  proposed  substitute  with  all  passive 
participles,  and  in  other  tenses  as  well  as  the  present.  They 
must  say,  therefore,  "  The  subscription  paper  is  being  missed, 
but  I  know  that  a  considerable  sum  is  being  wanted  to  make 
up  the  amount "  ;  "  the  great  Victoria  Bridge  has  been  being 
built  more  than  two  years  "  ;  "  when  T  reach  London,  the 
ship  Leviathan  will  be  being  built"  ;  "if  my  orders  had 
been  followed,  the  coat  would  have  been  being  made  yester- 
day "  ;  "  if  the  house  had  then  been  being  built,  the  mortar 
would  have  been  being  mixed."  '     We  may  reply  that,  while 


I4g  THE    VERBALIST. 

awkward  instances  of  the  old  form  are  most  abundant  in 
our  literature,  there  is  no  fear  that  the  repulsive  elabora- 
tions which  have  been  worked  out  in  ridicule  of  the  new 
forms  will  prove  to  have  been  anticipations  of  future  usage. 
There  was  a  time  when,  as  to  their  adverbs,  people  com- 
pared them,  to  a  large  extent,  with  -er  and  -est,  or  with 
more  and  most,  )U5t  as  their  ear  or  pleasure  dictated.  They 
wrote  plainlier  and  plainliest,  or  more  plainly  and  most 
plainly  ;  and  some  adverbs,  as  early,  late,  often,  seldom,  and 
soon,  we  still  compare  in  a  way  now  become  anomalous. 
And  as  our  forefathers  treated  their  adverbs  we  still  treat 
many  adjectives.  Furthermore,  obligingness,  preparedness, 
and  designedly  seem  quite  natural  ;  yet  we  do  not  feel  that 
they  authorize  us  to  talk  of  '  the  seeingness  of  the  eye,'  '  the 
understoodness  of  a  sentence,'  or  of  '  a  statement  acknowl- 
edgedly  correct.'  '  The  now  too  notorious  fact '  is  toler- 
able ;  but  '  the  never  to  be  sufficiently  execrated  monster 
Bonaparte '  is  intolerable.  The  sun  may  be  shorn  of  his 
splendor  ;  but  we  do  not  allow  cloudy  weather  to  shear  him 
of  it.  How,  then,  can  any  one  claim  that  a  man  who  pre- 
fers to  say  is  being  built  should  say  has  been  being  built  ? 
Are  not  awkward  instances  of  the  old  form,  typified  by  is 
building,  as  easily  to  be  picked  out  of  extant  literature  as 
such  instances  of  the  new  form,  likely  ever  to  be  used,  are 
to  be  invented  ?  And  '  the  reformers '  have  not  forsworn 
their  ears.  Mr.  Marsh,  at  p.  135  of  his  admirable  Lec- 
tures, lays  down  that  '  the  adjective  reliable,  in  the  sense  of 
worthy  of  confidence,  is  altogether  unidiomatic '  ;  and  yet, 
at  p.  112,  he  writes  '  reliable  evidence.'  Again,  at  p.  396  of 
the  same  work,  he  rules  that  whose,  in  '  I  passed  a  house 
whose  windows  were  open,'  is  '  by  no  means  yet  fully  estab- 
lished '  ;  and  at  p.  145  of  his  very  learned  Man  and  Na- 
ture he  writes  '  a  quadrangular  pyramid,  the  perpendicular 


THE    VERBALIST. 


I49 


of  whose  sides,'  etc.  Reaily,  if  his  own  judgments  sit  so 
very  loose  on  his  practical  conscience,  we  may,  without  be- 
ing chargeable  with  exaction,  ask  of  him  to  relax  a  little 
the  rigor  of  his  requirements  at  the  hands  of  his  neighbors. 

"  Beckford's  Lisbon  fortune-teller,  before  had  into  court, 
was  '  dragging  into  light,'  and,  perchance,  '  was  taking  to 
account.'  Many  moderns  would  say  and  write  '  being 
dragged  into  light,'  and  '  was  being  taken  to  account.'  But, 
if  we  are  to  trust  the  conservative  critics,  in  comparison 
with  expressions  of  the  former  pattern,  those  of  the  latter 
are  '  uncouth,' '  clumsy,'  'awkward  neologisms,' '  philological 
coxcombries,'  '  formal  and  pedantic,'  '  incongruous  and 
ridiculous  forms  of  speech,'  '  illogical,  confusing,  inaccurate 
monstrosities.'  Moreover,  they  are  neither  '  consistent  with 
reason '  nor  '  conformed  to  the  normal  development  of  the 
language '  ;  they  are  '  at  war  with  the  genius  of  the  Eng- 
lish tongue ' ;  they  are  '  unidiomatic  ' ;  they  are  '  not  Eng- 
lish.' In  passing,  if  Mr.  Marsh  will  so  define  the  term  tin- 
idiomatic  as  to  evince  that  it  has  any  applicability  to  the 
case  in  hand,  or  if  he  will  arrest  and  photograph  '  the  gen- 
ius of  the  English  tongue,'  so  that  we  may  know  the  origi- 
nal when  we  meet  with  it,  he  will  confer  a  public  favor. 
And  now  I  submit  for  consideration  whether  the  sole 
strength  of  those  who  decry  is  being  built  and  its  congeners 
does  not  consist  in  their  talent  for  calling  hard  names.  If 
they  have  not  an  uneasy  subconsciousness  that  their  cause 
is  weak,  they  would  at  least  do  well  in  eschewing  the  vio- 
lence to  which,  for  want  of  something  better,  the  advocates 
of  weak  causes  proverbially  resort. 

"  I  once  had  a  friend  who,  for  some  microscopic  penum- 
bra of  heresy,  was  charged,  in  the  words  of  his  accuser, 
with  '  as  near  an  approach  to  the  sin  against  the  Holy 
Ghost  as  is  practicable  to  human  infirmity.'     Similarly,  on 


i5o 


THE    VERBALIST. 


one  view,  the  feeble  potencies  of  philological  turpitude 
seem  to  have  exhibited  their  most  consummate  realization 
in  engendering  is  being  built.  The  supposed  enormity  per- 
petrated in  its  production,  provided  it  had  fallen  within  the 
sphere  of  ethics,  would,  at  the  least,  have  ranked  with  its 
denunciators  as  a  brand-new  exemplification  of  total  de- 
pravity. But,  after  all,  what  incontestable  defect  in  it  has 
any  one  succeeded  in  demonstrating  ?  Mr.  White,  in  op- 
posing to  the  expression  objections  based  on  an  erroneous 
analysis,  simply  lays  a  phantom  of  his  own  evoking ;  and, 
so  far  as  I  am  informed,  other  impugners  of  is  being  built 
have  absolutely  no  argument  whatever  against  it  over  and 
beyond  their  repugnance  to  novelty.  Subjected  to  a  little 
untroubled  contemplation,  it  would,  I  am  confident,  have 
ceased  long  ago  to  be  matter  of  controversy  ;  but  the  dust 
of  prejudice  and  passion,  which  so  distempers  the  intellect- 
ual vision  of  theologians  and  politicians,  is  seen  to  make, 
with  ruthless  impartiality,  no  exception  of  the  perspicacity 
of  philologists. 

"  Prior  to  the  evolution  of  is  being  built  and  was  being 
built,  we  possessed  no  discriminate  equivalents  to  cediftcatur 
and  adijicabatur ;  is  built  and  was  built,  by  which  they 
were  rendered,  corresponding  exactly  to  cedificatus  est  and 
cedificatus  erat.  Cum  cedijicaretur  was  to  us  the  same  as 
adificabatur.  On  the  wealth  of  the  Greek  in  expressions 
of  imperfect  passive  I  need  not  dwell.  With  rare  excep- 
tions, the  Romans  were  satisfied  with  the  present-imperfect 
and  the  past-imperfect ;  and  we,  on  the  comparatively  few 
occasions  which  present  themselves  for  expressing  other  im- 
perfects, shall  be  sure  to  have  recourse  to  the  old  fonns 
rather  than  to  the  new,  or  else  to  use  periphrases.*     The 


*  "  '  But  those  things  which,  being  not  now  doing,  or  having  not 
yet  been  done,  have  a  natural  aptitude  to  exist  hereafter,  may  be  prop- 


THE    VERBALIST.  151 

purists  may,  accordingly,  dismiss  their  apprehensions,  espe- 
cially as  the  neoterists  have  clearly  a  keener  horror  of 
phraseological  ungainliness  than  themselves.  One  may 
have  no  hesitation  about  saying  '  the  house  is  being  built' 
and  may  yet  recoil  from  saying  that  '  it  should  have  been 
being  built  last  Christmas '  ;  and  the  same  person— just  as, 
provided  he  did  not  feel  a  harshness,  inadequacy,  and  am- 
biguity in  the  passive  '  the  house  is  building!  he  would  use 
the  expression — will,  more  likely  than  not,  elect  is  in  prepa- 
ration preferentially  to  is  being  prepared.  If  there  are  any 
who,  in  their  zealotry  for  the  congruous,  choose  to  adhere 
to  the  new  form  in  its  entire  range  of  exchangeability  for 
the  old,  let  it  be  hoped  that  they  will  find,  in  Mr.  Marsh's 
speculative  approbation  of  consistency,  full  amends  for  the 
discomfort  of  encountering  smiles  or  frowns.  At  the  same 
time,  let  them  be  mindful  of  the  career  of  Mr.  White,  with 
his  black  flag  and  no  quarter.  The  dead  Polonius  was,  in 
Hamlet's  phrase,  at  supper,  'not  where  he  eats,  but  where 
he  is  eaten.'  Shakespeare,  to  Mr.  White's  thinking,  in  this 
wise  expressed  himself  at  the  best,  and  deserves  not  only 
admiration  therefor,  but  to  be  imitated.  '  While  the  ark 
was  built,'  '  while  the  ark  was  prepared,'  writes  Mr.  White 
himself.*  Shakespeare  is  commended  for  his  ambiguous 
is  eaten,  though  in  eating  or  an  eating  would  have  been  not 
only  correct  in  his  day,  but,  where  they  would  have  come 
in  his  sentence,  univocal.  With  equal  reason  a  man  would 
be  entitled  to  commendation  for  tearing  his  mutton-chops 
with  his  fingers,  when  he  might  cut  them  up  with  a  knife 

erly  said  to  appertain  to  the  future.'— Harris's  Hermes,  Book  I,  chap. 
viii  (p.  155,  foot-note,  ed.  1771).  For  Harris's  being  not  now  doing, 
which  is  to  translate  /ii)  yivofieva,  the  modern  school,  if  they  pursued 
uniformity  with  more  of  fidelity  than  of  taste,  would  have  to  put  being 
not  now  being  done.  There  is  not  much  to  choose  between  the  two." 
•  "  '  Words  and  their  Uses,'  p.  343." 


152 


THE    VERBALIST. 


and  fork.  '  Is  eaten,'  says  Mr.  White,  '  does  not  mean  has 
been  eaten.'  Very  true  ;  but  a  continuous  unfinished  pas- 
sion— Polonius's  still  undergoing  manducation,  to  speak 
Johnsonese — was  in  Shakespeare's  mind ;  and  his  words 
describe  a  passion  no  longer  in  generation.  The  King  of 
Denmark's  lord  chamberlain  had  no  precedent  in  Herod, 
when  '  he  was  eaten  of  worms ' ;  the  original,  ytvSfXfvos 
<TK<i)\TiK6lSpwTos,  yielding,  but  for  its  participle,  '  he  became 
worm-eaten.' 

"  Having  now  done  with  Mr.  White,  I  am  anxious,  be- 
fore taking  leave  of  him,  to  record,  with  all  emphasis,  that 
it  would  be  the  grossest  injustice  to  write  of  his  elegant 
Life  and  Genius  of  Shakespeare,  a  book  which  does  credit 
to  American  literature,  in  the  tone  which  I  have  found  un- 
avoidable in  dealing  with  his  Words  and  their  Uses." 

"  A  reader  in  the  Hudson  Register  asks, '  Which  is  gram- 
matically correct :  to  say  "  Boston  is  burning,"  or  "  Boston  is 
being  burnt,"  ;  "  the  street  is  paving,"  or  "  the  street  is  being 
paved."  ? '  The  editor  favors  the  opinion  that '  is  being  burnt ' 
and  '  is  being  paved  '  are  proper.  There  are  good  opinions 
to  support  the  Register  in  its  astute  opinion.  Suppose  you 
were  talking  politics,  and  your  friend  should  say, '  Greeley  is 
beating,'  or  '  Greeley  is  being  beaten.'  Now  it  may  not 
make  much  difference  to  the  world,  but  it  is  a  matter  that 
materially  affects  Mr.  Greeley.  Again,  suppose  you  wish 
to  express  another  kind  of  an  idea,  would  you  say,  for  in- 
stance, '  Johnny  is  spanking,'  or  '  Johnny  is  being  spanked '  ? 
The  difference  to  you  may  again  seem  immaterial,  but  it  is 
a  matter  of  considerable  importance  to  Johnny  ;  and  it  is 
probable  that  if  any  choice  were  given  him,  he  would  sud- 
denly select  the  former  alternative.  Again,  you  say,  '  The 
missionary  is  eating,'  which  is  very  pleasant  for  the  mis- 
sionary ;  but  by  a  little  change  of  syntax,  if  you  say  '  The 


THE    VERBALIST.  153 

missionary  is  being  eaten,'  you  yourself  are  not  affected, 
but  the  missionary  experiences  a  painful  sensation." — N.  V. 
Com.  Adv. 

Is  growing,  'was  growing,  indicate  an  activity  from 
within  ;  as,  the  tree  is  growing  (from  its  own  internal 
forces) ;  is  being  grown,  was  being  grown,  the  activity  of 
some  agent  from  without  ;  as,  the  plant  is  being  grown  (by 
the  gardener).  So  also,  and  strikingly,  is  bleeding  (as  from 
a  wound)  and  is  being  bled  (as  by  a  surgeon). — Standard 
Dictionary. 

The  student  of  English  that  has  honestly  weighed  the 
arguments  on  both  sides  of  the  question  must,  I  believe,  be 
of  opinion  that  our  language  is  the  richer  for  having  two 
forms  for  expressing  the  progressive  passive.  Further,  he 
must,  I  believe,  be  of  opinion  that  in  very  many  cases  he 
conforms  to  the  most  approved  usage  of  our  time  by  em- 
ploying the  old  form  ;  that,  however,  if  he  were  to  employ 
the  old  form  in  all  cases,  his  meaning  would  sometimes  be 
uncertain. 

It.  Cobbett  discourses  of  this  little  neuter  pronoun  in 
this  wise :  "  The  word  it  is  the  greatest  troubler  that  I 
know  of  in  language.  It  is  so  small  and  so  convenient  that 
few  are  careful  enough  in  using  it.  Writers  seldom  spare 
this  word.  Whenever  they  are  at  a  loss  for  either  a  nomi- 
native or  an  objective  to  their  sentence,  they,  without  any 
kind  of  ceremony,  clap  in  an  it.  A  very  remarkable  in- 
stance of  this  pressing  of  poor  it  into  actual  service,  con- 
trary to  the  laws  of  grammar  and  of  sense,  occurs  in  a 
piece  of  composition,  where  we  might,  with  justice,  insist 
on  correctness.  This  piece  is  on  the  subject  of  grammar  ; 
it  is  a  piece  written  by  a  Doctor  of  Divinity  and  read  by 
him  to  students  in  grammar  and  language  in  an  academy  ; 
and  the  very  sentence  that  I  am  now  about  to  quote  is 
11 


j  54  THE    VERBALIST. 

selected  by  the  author  of  a  grammar  as  testimony  of  high 
authority  in  favor  of  the  excellence  of  his  work.  Surely, 
if  correctness  be  ever  to  be  expected,  it  must  be  in  a  case 
like  this.  I  allude  to  two  sentences  in  the  Charge  of  the 
Reverend  Doctor  Abercrombie  to  the  Senior  Class  of  the 
Philadelphia  Academy,  published  in  1806  ;  which  sen- 
tences have  been  selected  and  published  by  Mr.  Lindley 
Murray  as  a  testimonial  of  the  merits  of  his  grammar ;  and 
which  sentences  are  by  Mr.  Murray  given  to  us  in  the  fol- 
lowing words:  'The  unwearied  exertions  of  this  gentle- 
man have  done  more  toward  elucidating  the  obscurities 
and  embellishing  the  structure  of  our  language  than  any 
other  writer  on  ihe  subject.  Such  a  work  has  long  been 
wanted,  and  from  the  success  with  which  it  is  executed, 
can  not  be  too  highly  appreciated.' 

"  As  in  the  learned  doctor's  opinion  obscurities  can  be 
elucidated,  and  as  in  the  same  opinion  Mr.  Murray  is  an 
able  hand  at  this  kind  of  work,  it  would  not  be  amiss  were 
the  grammarian  to  try  his  skill  upon  this  article  from  the 
hand  of  his  dignified  eulogist ;  for  here  is,  if  one  may  use 
the  expression,  a  constellation  of  obscurities.  Our  poor 
oppressed  it,  which  we  find  forced  into  the  doctor's  service 
in  the  second  sentence,  relates  to  '  such  a  work;  though 
this  work  is  nothing  that  has  an  existence,  notwithstanding 
it  is  said  to  be  'executed:  In  the  first  sentence,  the  'exer- 
tions' become,  all  of  a  sudden,  a  '  writer'  ;'the  exertions 
have  done  more  than  'any  other  writer';  for,  mind  you, 
it  is  not  the  gentleman  that  has  done  anything ;  it  is  '  the 
exertions '  that  have  done  what  is  said  to  be  done.  The 
word  gentleman  is  in  the  possessive  case,  and  has  nothing 
to  do  with  the  action  of  the  sentence.  Let  us  give  the  sen- 
tence a  turn,  and  the  doctor  and  the  grammarian  will  hear 
how  it  will  sound.     '  This  gentleman's  exertions  have  done 


THE    VERBALIST. 


155 


more  than  any  other  writer.'  This  is  on  a  level  with  '  This 
gentleman's  dog  has  killed  more  hares  than  any  other  sports- 
man.' No  doubt  Doctor  Abercrombie  meant  to  say,  '  The 
exertions  of  this  gentleman  have  done  more  than  those  of 
any  other  writer.  Such  a  work  as  this  gentleman's  has 
long  been  wanted  ;  his  work,  seeing  the  successful  manner 
of  its  execution,  can  not  be  too  highly  commended.  Meant ! 
No  doubt  at  all  of  that !  And  when  we  hear  a  Hampshire 
plowboy  say,  '  Poll  Cherrycheek  have  giv'd  a  thick  hand- 
kecher,'  we  know  very  well  that  he  means  to  say,  '  Poll 
Cherrycheek  has  given  me  this  handkerchief  ;  and  yet  we 
are  too  apt  to  laugh  at  him  and  to  call  him  ignorant ; 
which  is  wrong,  because  he  has  no  pretensions  to  a  knowl- 
edge of  grammar,  and  he  may  be  very  skillful  as  a  plow- 
boy.  However,  we  will  not  laugh  at  Doctor  Abercrombie, 
whom  I  knew,  many  years  ago,  for  a  very  kind  and  worthy 
man.  But  if  we  may,  in  any  case,  be  allowed  to  laugh  at 
the  ignorance  of  our  fellow-creatures,  that  case  certainly 
does  arise  when  we  see  a  professed  grammarian,  the  author 
of  voluminous  precepts  and  examples  on  the  subject  of 
grammar,  producing,  in  imitation  of  the  possessors  of  valu- 
able medical  secrets,  testimonials  vouching  for  the  efficacy 
of  his  literary  panacea,  and  when,  in  those  testimonials,  we 
find  most  flagrant  instances  of  bad  grammar. 

"  However,  my  dear  James,  let  this  strong  and  striking 
instance  of  the  misuse  of  the  word  it  serve  you  in  the  way 
of  caution.  Never  put  an  it  upon  paper  without  thinking 
well  of  what  you  are  about.  When  I  see  many  its  in  a 
page  I  always  tremble  for  the  writer." 

It  goes  without  saying.  Not  English  ;  simply  a  lit- 
eral translation  of  the  French  idiom  //  va  sans  dire,  mean- 
ing //  is  self-evident,  which  is  the  locution  we  should  use 
when  we  speak  or  write  English. 


156  THE    VERBALIST. 

Jeopardize.  This  is  a  modern  word  that  we  could 
easily  do  without,  as  it  means  neither  more  nor  less  than 
its  venerable  progenitor  to  jeopard,  which  is  preferred  by 
careful  writers. 

Jug.  What  the  American  calls  a  pitcher  the  English- 
man calls  a  jug. 

"Our  American  friend,"  says  an  English  writer,  "  com- 
plains of  our  continual  misuse  of  'jug'  for  '  pitcher,'  saying 
that  the  practice  is  of  very  recent  origin,  and  that  the  word 
'jug  '  is  comparatively  new.  The  word  is  an  old  one,  and, 
if  not  found  in  the  English  Bible,  has  a  pedigree  of  respect- 
able antiquity  ;  nor  are  we  disposed  to  object  to  it.  Only 
think  of  an  English  lady  speaking  of  her  '  cream  pitcher ' !  " 

And  an  American  woman — what  an  Anglomaniac  she'd 
have  to  be  to  call  a  pitcher  of  any  sort  a  jug  ! 

Just  going  to.  Instead  of  "  I  am  just  going  to  go,"  it 
is  better  to  say,  "  I  am  just  about  to  go." 

Just  next.  "  Is  not  '  next'  sufficiently  definite?  This 
is  a  single  example  out  of  scores  noticed  every  day  showing 
the  endeavors  of  newspaper  writers  to  strengthen  what  they 
say." — N.  C.  Advocate. 

Kids.  It  is  better  usage  to  speak  of  one's  gloves  than 
of  one's  kids.  When  silk  gloves  are  meant,  we  never  speak 
of  them  as  silks. 

Kind.     See  Polite. 

Kind  of.  We  say  properly,  "  What  kind  of  man  is 
he?"  and  not  ''What  kind  of  a  man  is  he?"  The  a  in 
such  sentences  is  a  superfluity. 

Kinsman.  Kinship  is  defined  as  the  state  of  being  re- 
lated by  blood,  hence  relatives  by  marriage  are  not  prop- 
erly kinsmen.  And  yet  it  would  seem  that  kinsfolk  may 
be  used  in  speaking  of  all  who  are  related  by  family  ties — 
all  relatives,  whether  related  by  blood  or  by  marriage.    The 


THE    VERBALIST.  157 

term  kinsman  is  to  be  preferred  to  either  relative,  relation, 
or  connection. 

Knights  Templars.  The  name  of  this  ancient  body 
has  been  adopted  by  a  branch  of  the  Masonic  fraternity, 
but  in  a  perverted  form — Knights  Templar  ;  and  this  form 
is  commonly  seen  in  print,  whether  referring  to  the  old 
knights  or  to  their  modern  imitators.  This  doubtless  is 
due  to  the  erroneous  impression  that  Templar  is  an  ad- 
jective, and  so  can  not  take  the  plural  form  ;  while  in  fact 
it  is  a  case  of  two  nouns  in  apposition— a  double  designa- 
tion— meaning  Knights  of  the  order  of  Templars.  Hence 
the  plural  should  be  Knights  Templars,  and  not  Knights 
Templar.  Members  of  the  contemporaneous  order  of  St. 
John  of  Jerusalem  were  commonly  called  Knights  Hos- 
pitallers. 

Lady.  To  use  the  term  lady,  whether  in  the  singular 
or  in  the  plural,  simply  to  designate  the  sex,  is  in  the  worst 
possible  taste.  There  is  a  kind  of  pin-feather  gentility  that 
seems  to  have  a  settled  aversion  to  using  the  terms  man  and 
woman.  Gentlemen  and  ladies  establish  their  claims  to  be- 
ing called  such  by  their  bearing,  and  not  by  arrogating  to 
themselves,  even  indirectly,  the  titles.  In  England,  the  title 
lady  is  properly  correlative  to  lord ;  but  there,  as  in  this  coun- 
try, it  is  used  as  a  term  of  complaisance,  and  is  appropri- 
ately applied  to  women  whose  lives  are  exemplary,  and  who 
have  received  that  school  and  home  education  that  enables 
them  to  appear  to  advantage  in  the  better  circles  of  society. 
Such  expressions  as  "  She  is  a  fine  lady,  a  clever  lady,  a 
well-dressed  lady,  a  good  lady,  a  modest  lady,  a  charitable 
lady,  an  amiable  lady,  a  handsome  lady,  a  fascinating  lady" 
and  the  like,  are  studiously  avoided  by  persons  of  refine- 
ment. Ladies  say  "  We  women,  the  women  of  America, 
women's  apparel,"  and  so  on  ;  vulgar  women  talk  about 


153 


THE    VERBALIST. 


"  Us  ladies,  the  ladies  of  America,  ladies'  apparel,"  and  so 
on.  If  a  woman  of  culture  and  refinement — in  short,  a 
lady — is  compelled  from  any  cause  soever  to  work  in  a 
store,  she  is  quite  content  to  be  called  a  sales-woman  ;  not 
so,  however,  with  your  young  woman  who,  being  in  a  store, 
is  in  a  better  position  than  ever  before.  She — Heaven  bless 
her ! — seethes  with  indignation  if  she  is  not  called  a  sales- 
lady.  Lady  is  often  the  proper  term  to  use,  and  then  it 
would  be  very  improper  to  use  any  other  term  ;  but  it  is 
very  certain  that  the  terms  lady  and  gentleman  are  least 
used  by  those  persons  who  are  most  worthy  of  being  desig- 
nated by  them.  With  a  nice  discrimination  worthy  of 
special  notice,  one  of  our  daily  papers  recently  said  :  "  Miss 
Jennie  Halstead,  daughter  of  the  proprietor  of  the  Cincin- 
nati Commercial,  is  one  of  the  most  brilliant  young  women 
in  Ohio." 

In  a  late  number  of  the  London  Queen  was  the  follow- 
ing :  "  The  terms  ladies  and  gentlemen  become  in  them- 
selves vulgarisms  when  misapplied,  and  the  improper  ap- 
plication of  the  wrong  term  at  the  wrong  time  makes  all  the 
difference  in  the  world  to  ears  polite.  Thus,  calling  a  man 
a  gentleman  when  he  should  be  called  a  man,  or  speaking 
of  a  man  as  a  man  when  he  should  be  spoken  of  as  a  gen- 
tleman ;  or  alluding  to  a  lady  as  a  woman  when  she  should 
be  alluded  to  as  a  lady,  or  speaking  of  a  woman  as  a  lady 
when  she  should  properly  be  termed  a  woman.  Tact  and 
a  sense  of  the  fitness  of  things  decide  these  points,  there 
being  no  fixed  rule  to  go  upon  to  determine  when  a  man  is 
a  man  or  when  he  is  a  gentleman  ;  and,  although  he  is  far 
oftener  termed  the  one  than  the  other,  he  does  not  thereby 
lose  his  attributes  of  a  gentleman.  In  common  parlance,  a 
man  is  always  a  man  to  a  man,  and  never  a  gentleman  ;  to  a 
woman,  he  is  occasionally  a  man  and  occasionally  a  gentle- 


THE    VERB  A  LI  ST.  159 

man  ;  but  a  man  would  far  oftener  term  a  woman  a  woman 
than  he  would  term  her  a  lady.  When  a  man  makes  use  of 
an  adjective  in  speaking  of  a  lady,  he  almost  invariably  calls 
her  a  woman.  Thus  he  would  say,  '  I  met  a  rather  agree- 
able -woman  at  dinner  last  night '  ;  but  he  would  not  say, 
'  I  met  an  agreeable  lady '  ;  but  he  might  say,  '  A  lady,  a 
friend  of  mine,  told  me,'  etc.,  when  he  would  not  say,  '  A 
woman,  a  friend  of  mine,  told  me,'  etc.  Again,  a  man 
would  say,  '  Which  of  the  ladies  did  you  take  in  to  dinner  ?' 
He  would  certainly  not  say,  'Which  of  the  women,'  etc. 

"  Speaking  of  people  en  masse,  it  would  be  to  belong  to 
a  very  advanced  school  to  refer  to  their  in  conversation  as 
'  men  and  women,'  while  it  would  be  ah  but  vulgar  to  style 
them  '  ladies  and  gentlemen,'  the  compromise  between  the 
two  being  to  speak  of  them  as  'ladies  and  men.'  Thus  a 
lady  would  say,  '  I  have  asked  two  or  three  ladies  and  sev- 
eral men ' ;  she  would  not  say,  '  I  have  asked  several  men 
and  women  '  ;  neither  would  she  say,  '  I  have  asked  several 
ladies  and  gentlemen.'  And,  speaking  of  numbers,  it  would 
be  very  usual  to  say,  '  There  were  a  great  many  ladies,  and 
but  very  few  men  present,'  or,  '  The  ladies  were  in  the 
majority,  so  few  men  being  present.'  Again,  a  lady  would 
not  say,  '  I  expect  two  or  three  men,'  but  she  would  say, 
'  I  expect  two  or  three  gentlemen.  When  people  are  on 
ceremony  with  each  other  [one  another],  they  might,  per- 
haps, in  speaking  of  a  man,  call  him  a  gentleman  ;  but, 
otherwise,  it  would  be  more  usual  to  speak  of  him  as  a  man. 
Ladies,  when  speaking  of  each  other  [one  another],  usually 
employ  the  term  woman  in  preference  to  that  of  lady.  Thus 
they  would  say, '  She  is  a  very  good-natured  woman,' '  What 
sort  of  a  woman  is  she?'  the  term  lady  being  entirely  out 
of  place  under  such  circumstances.  Again,  the  term  young 
lady  gives  place  as  far  as  possible  to  the  term  girl,  although 


l6o  THE    VERBALIST. 

it  greatly  depends  upon  the  amount  of  intimacy  existing  as 
to  which  term  is  employed." 

"  Let  the  word  lady  go,  and  let  ladylikeness  be  culti- 
vated and  intensified  under  the  name  of  woman. 

"  Man  and  -woman  are  much  more  sonorous,  humane, 
and  desirable  terms  than  gentleman  and  lady.  It  may  also 
be  said  that  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten  their  use  is  much  more 
gentlemanly  and  ladylike." — N.  Y.  Sun,  Aug.  14,  1887. 

"  There's  one  good  thing  about  the  new  woman — she 
doesn't  call  herself  the  new  lady." — Albany  Press-Knicker- 
bocker. 

Last — Latter.  Last  should  not  be  used  of  two  only, 
since  last  is  a  superlative  ;  and  latter  should  not  be  used  of 
more  than  two,  since  latter  is  a  comparative. 

Lay — Lie.  Errors  are  frequent  in  the  use  of  these  two 
irregular  verbs.  Lay  is  often  used  for  lie,  and  lie  is  some- 
times used  for  lay.  This  confusion  in  their  use  is  due,  in 
some  measure,  doubtless,  to  the  circumstance  that  lay  ap- 
pears in  both  verbs,  it  being  the  imperfect  tense  of  to  lie. 
We  say,  "A  mason  lays  bricks,"  "A  ship  lies  at  anchor," 
etc.  ;  "  I  must  lie  down  "  ;  "I  must  lay  myself  down  "  ; 
"  I  must  lay  this  book  on  the  table"  ;  "  He  lies  on  the 
grass  "  ;  "  He  lays  his  plans  well  "  ;  "  He  lay  on  the  grass  "  ; 
"  He  laid  it  away  "  ;  "  He  has  lain  in  bed  long  enough  "  ; 
"lie  has  laid  up  some  money";  "He  is  laying  out  the 
grounds"  ;  "  Ships  lie  at  the  wharf"  ;  "  Hens  lay  eggs"  ; 
"The  ship  lay  at  anchor"  ;  "The  hen  laid  an  egg."  It 
will  be  seen  that  lay  always  expresses  transitive  action,  and 
that  lie  expresses  rest. 

"  Here  lies  our  sovereign  lord,  the  king, 
Whose  word  no  man  relies  on  ; 
He  never  says  a  foolish  thing, 
Nor  ever  does  a  wise  one." 


THE    VERBALIST.  i6l 

— Written  on  the  bedchamber  door  of  Charles  II,  by  the 
Earl  of  Rochester. 

"  Dapple  had  to  lay  [lie]  down  on  all  fours  before  the 
lad  could  bestride  him." 

"  The  Waterloo  man  was  represented  by  a  child  of  three 
— a  Martin,  of  course— who  laid  [lay]  down  in  the  gutter." 

"  The  look  of  immovable  endurance  that  underlaid  [un- 
derlay] her  expression." 

"  Those  sterling  qualities  of  generosity  and  discretion 
that  underlaid  [underlay]  their  more  prominent  attrac- 
tions." 

"  No  beds  whatever,  and  for  a  whole  week  I  never  took 
off  my  clothes,  but  laid  [lay]  down  in  them  wrapped  in  my 
cloak." 

Learn.  Long  ago  this  verb  was  used  as  a  synonym  of 
teach,  but  in  this  sense  it  is  now  obsolete.  To  teach  is  to 
give  instruction  ;  to  learn  is  to  take  instruction.  "  I  will 
learn,  if  you  will  teach  me."     See  Teach. 

Leave.  There  are  grammarians  who  insist  that  this 
verb  should  not  be  used  without  an  object  ;  as,  for  example, 
it  is  used  in  such  sentences  as,  "  When  do  you  leave?"  "  I 
leave  to-morrow."  The  object  of  the  verb — home,  town, 
or  whatever  it  may  be — is,  of  course,  understood  ;  but  this, 
say  these  gentlemen,  is  not  permissible.  On  this  point 
opinions  will,  I  think,  differ  ;  they  will,  however,  not  differ 
with  regard  to  the  vulgarity  of  using  leave  in  the  sense  of 
let ;  thus,  "  Leave  me  be  "  ;  "  Leave  it  alone  "  ;  "  Leave  her 
be — don't  bother  her "  ;  ''Leave  me  see  it." 

Sometimes  misused  in  the  sense  of  allow. 

"  If  that  system  were  left  [allowed]  to  continue,  after  ten 
years  or  so  no  party  would  dare  to  suggest  the  maintenance 
of  any  tariff."— N.  Y.  Sun. 
Lend.     See  Loan. 


j62  the  verbalist. 

Length— Side — Endways.  The  form  preferred  is 
lengthTwV,  etc. 

Lengthened.  Sometimes  misused  for  long,  though  it 
does  not  mean  long  any  more  than  strengthened  means 
strong  or  heightened  means  high. 

"  For  a  lengthened  [long]  period  the  means  which  [that] 
I  could  with  propriety  devote  to  the  purchase  [purchasing, 
or,  better,  buying]  of  books  were  very  limited." 

"  He  astonished  a  literary  friend  who  had  accompanied 
him  by  repeating  a  lengthened  [long]  passage  from  one  of 
the  Eclogues  of  Virgil." 

"  Beguile  the  heavy  hour  with  [by]  studying  the  faces 
of  [in]  the  congregation  below,  or  [by]  watching  for  the 
last  leaf  of  the  lengthening  sermon." 

Lengthy.  This  word  is  of  comparatively  recent  origin, 
and,  though  it  is  said  to  be  an  Americanism,  it  is  a  good 
deal  used  in  England.  The  most  careful  writers,  however, 
both  here  and  elsewhere,  prefer  the  word  long:  "a  long 
discussion,"  "a  long  discourse,"  etc. 

Leniency.  Mr.  Gould  calls  this  word  and  lenience 
"  two  philological  abortions."  Lenity  is  undoubtedly  the 
proper  word  to  use,  though  both  Webster  and  Worcester 
do  recognize  leniency  and  lenience. 

The  Standard  Dictionary  (1895)  recognizes  leniency,  but 
not  lenience. 

Less.  This  word  is  much  used  instead  of  fewer.  Less 
relates  to  quantity  ;  fewer  to  number.  Instead  of,  "  There 
were  not  less  than  twenty  persons  present,"  we  should  say, 
"  There  were  not  fever  than  twenty  persons  present." 

"  The  neat  edition  published  by  King  contains  no 
less  [fewer]  than  sixty  of  the  popular  songs  known  chiefly 
to  college  boys/'  etc. — N.  Y.  Tribune. 

Lesser.     This  form  of  the  comparative  of  little  is  ac- 


THE    VERBALIST.  j6j 

counted  a  corruption  of  less.  It  may,  however,  be  used  in- 
stead of  less  with  propriety  in  verse,  and  also,  in  some 
cases,  in  prose.  We  may  say,  for  example,  "  Of  two  evils 
choose  the  less,"  or  "  the  lesser."  The  latter  form,  in  sen- 
tences like  this,  is  the  more  euphonious  ;  and  the  question 
of  euphony  is  one  that  a  writer  should  never  lose  sight  of. 

Liable.  Richard  Grant  White,  in  inveighing  against 
the  misuse  of  liable,  cites  the  example  of  a  member  from  a 
rural  district  who  called  out  to  a  man  that  he  met  in  the 
village,  where  he  was  in  the  habit  of  making  little  pur- 
chases:  "  I  say,  mister,  kin  yer  tell  me  whar  I'd  be  lible 
[likely]  to  find  some  beans  ?  " 

"Would  he  not  he  liable  [likely]  to  neglect  the  most 
important  mechanism  for  its  apparent  insignificance  ?  "  See 
also  Apt. 

Like,  To.     See  Love. 

Lie.     See  Lay. 

Like — As.  Both  these  words  express  similarity;  like 
(adjective)  comparing  things,  as  (adverb)  comparing  action, 
existence,  or  quality.  Like  is  followed  by  an  object  only, 
and  does  not  admit  of  a  verb  in  the  same  construction. 
As  must  be  followed  by  a  verb  expressed  or  understood. 
We  say,  "  He  looks  like  his  brother,"  or  "  He  looks  as 
his  brother  looks."  "  Do  as  I  do,"  not  "  like  I  do."  "  You 
must  speak  as  James  does  [or  speaks],"  not  "  like  James 
does."  "  He  died  as  he  had  lived — like  a  dog."  "  It  is  as 
blue  as  indigo" — i.  e.,  "  as  indigo  is." 

"A  nation  must  laugh,  and  there  is  all  the  difference 
whether  it  laughs  like  a  satyr,  or  like  [as]  those  bitter  fish- 
women  did  [laughed]  in  France  at  blood  and  slaughter,  or 
like  [as]  we  have  laughed  under  Punch's  auspices  for  many 
years." 

Like  is  sometimes  improperly  used  in  the  sense  of  as 


!64  THE    VERBALIST. 

though,  thus  :  "  It  looks  like  it  was  caused,"  etc.  "It  looks 
like  they  must  pay,"  etc. 

Likely.     See  Apt. 

Limited.  Sometimes  used  when  low,  small,  slight,  or 
slender  would  be  the  proper  word. 

"  The  cost  of  the  volume  [book  ?]  was  formerly  five 
shillings.  It  is  now  published  at  the  limited  [low]  price 
of  one  shilling." 

"  If  we  may  found  [?]  an  opinion  on  a  limited  [slight] 
acquaintance  with  the  writings  of  Tiek." 

It  is  better  to  say,  "  A  man  of  small  or  slender  means," 
than  to  say,  "A  man  of  limited  means  "  ;  yet  one  might  say 
very  propeily,  "  My  means  are  too  limited  to  justify  the 
outlay." 

Lit.  This  form  of  the  past  participle  of  the  verb  to 
light  is  now  obsolete.  "  Have  you  lighted  the  fire  ?  "  "  The 
gas  is  lighted."  Het  for  heated  is  a  similar,  but  a  much 
greater,  vulgarism. 

Loan — Lend.  There  are  those  who  contend  that  there 
is  no  such  verb  as  to  loan,  although  it  has  been  found  in 
our  literature  for  more  than  three  hundred  years.  Whether 
there  is  properly  such  a  verb  or  not,  it  is  quite  certain  that 
it  is  only  those  having  a  vulgar  penchant  for  big  words  that 
will  prefer  it  to  its  synonym,  lend.  Better  far  to  say,  "  Lend 
me  your  umbrella  "  than  "  Loan  me  your  umbrella." 

"  To  loan,  as  a  verb,  has  to  us  a  strange  sound." — 
E.  A.  Freeman. 

Locate — Settle.  The  use  of  the  verb  to  locate  in  the 
sense  of  to  settle  is  said  to  be  an  Americanism.  Although 
the  dictionaries  recognize  to  locate  as  a  neuter  verb,  as  such 
it  is  marked  "  rarely  used,"  and,  in  the  sense  of  to  settle,  it 
is  among  the  vulgarisms  that  careful  speakers  and  writers 
are  studious  to  avoid.   A  man  settles,  not  locates,  in  Nebraska. 


THE    VERBALIST.  1 65 

"Where  do  you  intend  to  settle!"  not  locate.     See  also 
Settle. 

Loggerheads.  "  In  the  meantime  France  is  at  logger- 
heads internally."— -New  York  Herald,  April  29,  1881. 
Loggerheads  internally  ? ! 

This,  of  course,  is  reportorial,  not  editorial,  English. 

Looks  beautifully.  It  is  sometimes  interesting  to  note 
the  difference  between  vulgar  bad  grammar  and  genteel  bad 
grammar,  or,  more  properly,  between  nonpainstaking  and 
painstaking  bad  grammar.  The  former  uses,  for  example, 
adjectives  instead  of  adverbs  ;  the  latter  uses  adverbs  in- 
stead of  adjectives.  The  former  says,  "  This  bonnet  is 
trimmed  shocking";  the  latter  says,  "This  bonnet  looks 
shockingly"  In  the  first  sentence  the  epithet  qualifies  the 
verb  is  trimmed,  and  consequently  should  have  its  adverbial 
form— shockingly  ;  in  the  second  sentence  the  epithet  quali- 
fies the  appearance  (a  noun)  of  the  bonnet,  and  conse- 
quently should  have  its  adjectival  form — shocking.  The 
second  sentence  means  to  say,  "  This  bonnet  presents  a 
shocking  appearance."  The  bonnet  certainly  does  not 
really  look  ;  it  is  looked  at,  and  to  the  looker  its  appearance 
is  shocking.  So  we  say,  in  like  manner,  of  a  person,  that  he 
or  she  looks  sweet,  or  charming,  or  beautiful,  or  handsome, 
or  horrid,  or  graceful,  or  timid,  and  so  on,  always  using  an 
adjective.  "  Miss  Coghlan,  as  Lady  Teazle,  looked  charm- 
ingly." The  grammar  of  the  New  York  Herald  would 
not  have  been  any  more  incorrect  if  it  had  said  that  Miss 
Coghlan  looked  gladly,  or  sadly,  or  madly,  or  delightedly,  or 
pleasedly.  A  person  may  look  sick  or  sickly,  but  in  both 
cases  the  qualifying  word  is  an  adjective.  The  verbs  to 
smell,  to  feel,  to  sound,  to  appear,  and  to  stand  are  also 
found  in  sentences  in  which  the  qualifying  word  must  be 
an  adjective,  and  not  an  adverb.     We  say,  for  example, 


1 66  THE    VERBALIST. 

"The  rose  smells  sweet"  ;  "The  butter  smells  good,  or 
bad,  or  fresh  " ;  "I  feel  glad,  or  .wrf',  or  &?</,  or  despond- 
ent, or  annoyed,  or  nervous  "  ;  "  This  construction  sounds 
/wrj-//  "  ;  "  How  delightful  the  country  appears  !  " 

On  the  other  hand,  to  look,  to  feel,  to  smell,  to  sound, 
and  to  appear  are  found  in  sentences  where  the  qualifying 
word  must  be  an  adverb  ;  thus,  "  He  feels  his  loss  keenly"  ; 
"  The  king  looked  graciously  on  her  "  ;  "I  smell  it  faintly." 
We  might  also  say,  "  He  feels  sad  [adjective],  because  he 
feels  his  loss  keenly"  (adverb);  "He  appears  well"  (ad- 
verb). 

The  expression,  "  She  seemed  confusedly,  or  timidly''  is 
not  a  whit  more  incorrect  than  "  She  looked  beautifully,  or 
charmingly."     See  Adjectives. 

Lot — Lots.  Very  inelegantly  used  for  "  a  great  many," 
"a  great  deal";  as,  "They  have  lots  of  enemies,"  "We 
have  lots  of  apples,"  "  He  had  a  lot,  or  lots,  of  trouble," 
"  She  gave  us  a  lot  of  trouble,"  etc. 

Loud.  There  are  not  a  few  who  seem  to  think  that 
loud  can  not  be  used  as  an  adverb.  It  is  quite  as  correct 
to  say,  "  Do  not  talk  so  loud,"  as  it  is  to  say,  "  Do  not  talk 
in  such  a  loud  tone." 

"  The  World  of  this  town  (London)  has  driven  some  of 
the  American  papers  in  Europe  mad  by  its  article  on  The 
American  Girl,  Uncivilized  and  Civilized.  The  former 
type  is  described  as  always  talking  loudly  [loud]  and  [as 
being]  always  in  haste,"  etc. — Corr.  N.  Y.  Sun. 

"  It  prevents  me  from  hearing  you,  and  you  must  there- 
fore speak  more  loudly  [louder]." 

Love — Like.  Men  that  are  careful  in  selecting  their 
words,  and  have  not  an  undue  leaning  toward  the  super- 
lative, love  few  things — their  wives,  their  sweethearts,  their 
kinsmen,  truth,  justice,  and    their   country.     We  like   ac- 


THE    VERBALIST.  \6j 

quaintances,  horses,  flowers,  pictures,   good  things  to  eat, 
and  so  on. 

Lovely.  A  much-abused  word.  With  some  persons 
everything  is  lovely. 

Low-priced.     See  Cheap. 

Luggage — Baggage.  The  former  of  these  words  is 
commonly  used  in  Great  Britain,  the  latter  in  America. 

Lunch.  This  word,  when  used  as  a  substantive,  may 
at  the  beat,  be  accounted  an  inelegant  abbreviation  of 
luncheon.  The  dictionaries  barely  recognize  it.  The 
proper  phraseology  to  use  is,  "Have  you  lunched  V  or, 
"  Have  you  had  your  luncheon!"  or,  better,  "  Have  you 
had  luncheon  ?  "  as  we  may  in  most  cases  presuppose  that 
the  person  addressed  would  hardly  take  anybody's  else 
luncheon. 

Luxurious — Luxuriant.  The  line  is  drawn  much  more 
sharply  between  these  two  words  now  than  it  was  formerly. 
Luxurious  was  once  used,  to  some  extent  at  least,  in  the 
sense  of  rank  growth,  but  now  all  careful  writers  and  speak- 
ers use  it  in  the  sense  of  indulging  in,  or  delighti):g  iny 
luxury.  We  talk  of  a  luxurious  table,  a  luxurious  liver, 
luxurious  ease,  luxurious  freedom.  Luxuriant,  on  the 
other  hand,  is  restricted  to  the  sense  of  rank,  or  excessive, 
growth  or  production  ;  thus,  luxuriant  weeds,  luxuriant 
foliage  or  branches,  luxuriant  growth. 

"  Prune  the  luxuriant,  the  uncouth  refine, 
But  show  no  mercy  to  an  empty  line." — Pope. 

Mad.  Professor  Richard  A.  Proctor,  in  a  recent  num- 
ber of  The  Gentleman's  Magazine,  says:  "The  word 
mad,  in  America,  seems  nearly  always  to  mean  angry. 
For  mad,  as  we  use  the  word,  Americans  say  crazy. 
Herein  they  have  manifestly  impaired  the  language." 
Have  they  r 


1 68  THE    VERBALIST. 

"  Now,  in  faith,  Gratiano, 
You  give  your  wife  too  unkind  a  cause  of  grief ; 
An  'twere  to  me,  I  would  [should]  be  mad  at  it." 

Merchant  of  Venice. 

"  And  being  exceedingly  mad  against  them,  I  persecuted 
them  even  unto  strange  cities." — Acts  xxvi,  n. 

Mad,  in  the  sense  of  angry,  is  less  used  now  than  for- 
merly, and  is  least  used  in  this  sense  by  those  who  are  ac- 
counted careful  speakers.  "He  was  very  angry"  is  cer- 
tainly preferable  to  "  He  was  very  mad."  In  this  sense 
mad  may  be  said  to  be  archaic. 

Make  a  visit.  We  do  not  make  visits  ;  we  pay  them. 
"  Makez.  visit,"  according  to  Dr.  Hall,  whatever  it  once  was, 
is  no  longer  English. 

Malaria.     This  word  is  not  the  name  of  a  disease,  as 
many  persons  seem  to  think,  but  of  the  cause  of  a  disease, 
lor  perhaps  of  diseases.     We  do  not  suffer  from  malaria, 
but  from  the  effects  of  malaria,  which  is  a  noxious  exhala- 
tion, usually  from  marshy  districts. 

Marry.  There  has  been  some  discussion,  at  one  time 
and  another,  with  regard  to  the  use  of  this  word.  Is  John 
Jones  married  to  Sally  Brown  or  with  Sally  Brown,  or  are 
they  married  to  each  other?  Inasmuch  as  the  woman  loses 
her  name  in  that  of  the  man  she  is  wedded  to,  and  becomes 
a  member  of  his  family,  not  he  of  hers — inasmuch  as,  with 
few  exceptions,  it  is  her  life  that  is  merged  in  his — it  would 
seem  that,  properly,  Sally  Brown  is  married  to  John  Jones, 
and  that  this  would  be  the  proper  way  to  make  the  an- 
nouncement of  their  having  been  wedded,  and  not  John 
Jones  to  Sally  Brown. 

There  is  also  a  difference  of  opinion  as  to  whether  the 
active  or  the  passive  form  is  preferable  in  referring  to  a  per- 
son's wedded  state.     In  speaking  definitely  of  the  act  of 


THE    VERBALIST.  169 

marriage  the  passive  form  is  necessarily  used  with  refer- 
ence to  either  spouse.  "John  Jones  was  married  to  Sally 
Brown  on  December  1,  1S81  "  ;  not  "John  Jones  mar- 
ried Sally  Brown  "  on  such  a  date,  for  (unless  they  were 
Quakers)  some  third  person  married  him  to  her  and  her  to 
him.  But,  in  speaking  definitely  of  the  fact  of  marriage, 
the  active  form  is  a  matter  of  course.  "  Whom  did  John 
Jones  marry?"  "He  married  Sally  Brown."  "John 
Jones,  when  he  had  sown  his  wild  oats,  married  [married 
himself,  as  the  French  say]  and  settled  down."  Got  mar- 
ried is  a  vulgarism. 

May.  In  the  sense  of  can,  may,  in  a  negative  clause, 
has  become  obsolete.  "  Though  we  may  say  a  horse,  we 
may  not  say  a  ox."  The  first  way  here  is  permissible  ;  not 
so,  however,  the  second,  which  should  be  can. 

Can  always  conveys  the  idea  of  ability  ;  hence,  when  it 
is  a  question  of  simple  permission,  may  should  be  used. 
"  May  I — not  can  I — have  an  apple  ?  " 

Meat.  At  the  table  we  ask  for  and  offer  beef,  mutton, 
veal,  steak,  turkey,  duck,  etc.,  and  do  not  ask  for  nor  offer 
meat,  which,  to  say  the  least,  is  very  inelegant.  "  Will  you 
have  [not  take]  another  piece  of  beef  [not  of  the  beef]  ?  " 
not,  "  Will  you  have  another  piece  of  meat}" 

Memorandum.  The  plural  is  memoranda,  except 
when  the  singular  means  a  book  ;  then  the  plural  is  memo- 
randums. 

Mere.  This  word  is  not  infrequently  misplaced,  and 
sometimes,  as  in  the  following  sentence,  in  consequence  of 
being  misplaced,  it  is  changed  to  an  adverb  :  "  It  is  true  of 
men  as  of  God,  that  words  merely  meet  with  no  response." 
What  the  writer  evidently  intended  to  say  is,  that  mere 
words  meet  with  no  response. 

The  diction  of  none  but  painstakers  is  ever  good. 
12 


170 


THE    VERBALIST. 


Merely.  Sometimes  misused  for  simply.  Merely 
means  only,  solely  ;  as,  "We  went  merely  (not  simply)  out 
of  curiosity."     "  What  you  tell  me  is  simply  astounding." 

Metaphor.  An  implied  comparison  is  called  a  meta- 
phor ;  it  is  a  more  terse  form  of  expression  than  the  simile. 
Take,  for  example,  this  sentence  from  Spencer's  Philosophy 
of  Style:  "As,  in  passing  through  the  crystal,  beams  of 
white  light  are  decomposed  into  the  colors  of  the  rainbow, 
so,  in  traversing  the  soul  of  the  poet,  the  colorless  rays  of 
truth  are  transformed  into  brightly  tinted  poetry."  Ex- 
pressed in  metaphors,  this  becomes:  "  The  white  light  of 
truth,  in  traversing  the  many-sided,  transparent  soul  of  the 
poet,  is  refracted  into  iris-hued  poetry." 

Worcester's  definition  of  a  metaphor  is  :  "A  figure  of 
speech  founded  on  the  resemblance  which  [that]  one  object 
is  supposed  to  bear,  in  some  respect,  to  another,  or  a  figure 
by  which  a  word  is  transferred  from  a  subject  to  which  it 
properly  belongs  to  another,  in  such  a  manner  that  a  com- 
parison is  implied,  though  not  formally  expressed ;  a  com- 
parison or  simile  comprised  in  a  word  ;  as,  '  Thy  word  is  a 
lamp  to  my  feet.'  "  A  metaphor  differs  from  a  simile  in  be- 
ing expressed  without  any  sign  of  comparison  ;  thus,  "  the 
silver  moon  "  is  a  metaphor  ;  "  the  moon  is  bright  as  silver  " 
is  a  simile.     Examples  : 

"  But  look,  the  morn,  in  russet  mantle  clad, 

Walks  o'er  the  dew  of  yon  high  eastern  hill." 
"  Canst  thou  not  minister  to  a  mind  diseased — 
Pluck  from  the  memory  a  rooted  sorrow  ?" 

"At  length  Erasmus 
Stemmed  the  wild  torrent  of  a  barbarous  age, 
And  drove  those  holy  Vandals  off  the  stage." 
"  Censure  is  the  tax  a  man  pays  to  the  public  for  being 
eminent." 


THE    VERBALIST.  \-j\ 

Metonymy.  The  rhetorical  figure  that  puts  the  effect 
for  the  cause,  the  cause  for  the  effect,  the  container  for  the 
thing  contained,  the  sign,  or  symbol,  for  the  thing  signified, 
or  the  instrument  for  the  agent,  is  called  metonymy. 

"  One  very  common  species  of  metonymy  is  when  the 
badge  is  put  for  the  office.  Thus  we  say  the  miter  for  the 
priesthood  ;  the  crown  for  royalty  ;  for  military  occupation 
we  say  the  sword ;  and  for  the  literary  professions — those 
especially  of  theology,  law,  and  physic — the  common  ex- 
pression is  the  gown." — Campbell. 

Dr.  Quackenbos,  in  his  Course  of  Composition  and 
Rhetoric,  says  :  "Metonymy  is  the  exchange  of  names  be- 
tween things  related.  It  is  founded,  not  on  resemblance, 
but  on  the  relation  of  (i)  Cause  and  effect ;  as, '  They  have 
Moses  and  the  prophets' — i.  e.,  their  writings  ;  '  Gray  hairs 
should  be  respected ' — i.  e.,  old  age.  (2)  Progenitor  and  pos- 
terity ;  as,  '  Hear,  O  Israel  ! ' — i.  e.,  descendants  of  Israel. 
(3)  Subject  and  attribute  ;  as,  '  Youth  and  beauty  shall  be 
laid  in  dust ' — i.  e.,  the  young  and  beautiful.  (4)  Place  and 
inhabitant  ;  as,  '  What  land  is  so  barbarous  as  to  allow  this 
injustice  ? ' — i.  e.,  what  people.  (5)  Container  and  thing  con- 
tained ;  as,  '  Our  ships  next  opened  fire  ' — i.  e.,  our  sailors. 
(6)  Sign  and  thing  signified  ;  as,  'The  scepter  shall  not  de- 
part from  Judah' — i.e.,  kingly  power.  (7)  Material  and 
thing  made  of  it  ;  as,  '  His  steel  gleamed  on  high  ' — i.  e.,  his 
sword." 

"  Petitions  having  proved  unsuccessful,  it  was  deter- 
mined to  approach  the  throne  more  boldly." 

Middling.  Sometimes  misused  for  tolerably  or  fairly. 
Middling  can  not  properly  be  used  as  an  adverb,  hence  we 
can  not  say  a  thing  is  "  middling  good,"  or  that  a  thing  was 
"  middling  well  "  done. 

Midst,  The.     See  In  our  midst. 


172 


THE    VERBALIST. 


Mighty.  Often  used  when  very  would  be  the  proper 
word  to  use.  Such  expressions  as  mighty  hard,  mighty 
pretty,  mighty  well,  and  the  like  are  not  used  by  the  careful. 

Mind.  This  word  is  often  inelegantly,  if  not  abso- 
lutely incorrectly,  used  in  the  sense  of  obey.  To  mind  is  to 
attend  to  a  thing  so  that  it  may  not  be  forgotten.  We 
should  say,  "Will  you  obey  me?"  not  "Will  you  mind 
me  ?  "     "  Mind  what  I  say,  and  be  sure  you  obey  me." 

Mind — Capricious.  "  Lord  Salisbury's  mind  is  ca- 
pricious."— Tribune.     See  Equanimity  of  Mind. 

Misplaced  Clauses.  In  writing  and  speaking,  it  is  as 
important  to  give  each  clause  its  proper  place  as  it  is  to 
place  the  words  properly.  The  following  are  a  few  in- 
stances of  misplaced  clauses  and  adjuncts  :  "  All  these  cir- 
cumstances brought  close  to  us  a  state  of  things  which 
[that]  we  never  thought  to  have  witnessed  [to  witness]  in 
peaceful  England.  In  the  sister  island,  indeed,  we  had  read 
of  such  horrors,  but  now  they  were  brought  home  to  our 
very  household  hearth." — Swift.  Better  :  "  We  had  read, 
indeed,  of  such  horrors  occurring  in  the  sister  island,"  etc. 

"  I  shall  have  a  comedy  for  you,  in  a  season  or  two  at 
farthest,  that  I  believe  will  be  worth  your  acceptance." — 
Goldsmith.  Bettered :  "  In  a  season  or  two  at  farthest,  I 
shall  have  a  comedy  for  you  that  I  believe  will  be  worth 
your  acceptance." 

"This  orthography  is  regarded  as  normal  in  England." 
What  the  writer  intended  was,  "  in  England  as  normal" — 
a  very  different  thought. 

"  The  Normal  School  is  a  commodious  building  capable 
of  accommodating  three  hundred  students  four  stories 
high." 

"  The  Moor,  seizing  a  bolster  boiling  over  with  rage  and 
jealousy,  smothers  her." 


THE    VERBALIST.  173 

Misplaced  Words.  "Of  all  the  faults  to  be  found  in 
writing,"  says  Cobbett,  "  this  is  one  of  the  most  common, 
and  perhaps  it  leads  to  the  greatest  number  of  misconcep- 
tions. All  the  words  may  be  the  proper  words  to  be  used 
upon  the  occasion,  and  yet,  by  a  misplacing  of  a  part  of 
them,  the  meaning  may  be  wholly  destroyed,  and  even 
made  to  be  the  contrary  of  what  it  ought  to  be." 

"  I  asked  the  question  with  no  other  intention  than  to 
set  the  gentleman  free  from  the  necessity  of  silence,  and  to 
give  him  an  opportunity  of  mingling  [to  mingle]  on  equal 
terms  with  a  polite  assembly  from  which,  however  uneasy, 
he  could  not  then  escape,  by  a  kind  introduction  of  the  only 
subject  on  which  I  believed  him  to  be  able  to  speak  with 
propriety." — Dr.  Johnson. 

"  This,"  says  Cobbett,  "  is  a  very  bad  sentence  alto- 
gether. '  However  uneasy '  applies  to  assembly  and  not  to 
gentleman.  Only  observe  how  easily  this  might  have  been 
avoided.  '  P'rom  which  he,  however  uneasy,  could  not  then 
escape.'  After  this  we  have,  '  he  could  not  then  escape,  by 
a  kind  introduction.'  We  know  what  is  meant;  but  the 
doctor,  with  all  his  commas,  leaves  the  sentence  confused. 
Let  us  see  whether  we  can  not  make  it  clear :  '  I  asked  the 
question  with  no  other  intention  than,  by  a  kind  introduc- 
tion of  the  only  subject  on  which  I  believed  him  to  be  able 
to  speak  with  propriety,  to  set  the  gentleman  free  from  the 
necessity  of  silence,  and  to  give  him  an  opportunity  of 
mingling  on  equal  terms  with  a  polite  assembly  from  which 
he,  however  uneasy,  could  not  then  escape.'  " 

"  Reason  is  the  glory  of  human  nature,  and  one  of  the 
chief  eminences  whereby  we  are  raised  above  our  fellow- 
creatures,  the  brutes,  in  this  lower  world." — Doctor  Watts' 
Logic. 

"  I  have  before  showed  an  error,"  Cobbett  remarks,  "  in 


t-^  THE    VERBALIST. 

the  first  sentence  of  Doctor  Watts'  work.  This  is  the  sec- 
ond sentence.  The  words  in  this  lower  world  are  not  words 
misplaced  only  ;  they  are  wholly  unnecessary,  and  they  do 
great  harm,  for  they  do  these  two  things  :  first,  they  imply 
that  there  are  brutes  in  the  higher  world ;  and,  second,  they 
excite  a  doubt  whether  we  are  raised  above  those  brutes. 

"  I  might  greatly  extend  the  number  of  my  extracts  from 
these  authors  ;  but  here,  I  trust,  are  enough.  I  had  noted 
down  about  two  hundred  errors  in  Dr.  Johnson's  Lives  of 
the  Poets ;  but,  afterward  perceiving  that  he  had  revised 
and  corrected  The  Rambler  with  extraordinary  care,  I 
chose  to  make  my  extracts  from  that  work  rather  than  from 
the  Lives  of  the  Poets." 

The  position  of  the  adverb  should  be  as  near  as  possible 
to  the  word  it  qualifies.  Sometimes  we  place  it  before  the 
auxiliary  and  sometimes  after  it,  according  to  the  thought 
we  wish  to  express.  The  difference  between  "  The  fish 
should  properly  be  broiled"  and  "  The  fish  should  he  prop- 
erly broiled  "  is  apparent  at  a  glance. 

"The  colon  may  be  properly  used  in  the  following 
cases,"  should  be,  "  may  properly  be  used." 

"  This  mode  of  expression  rather  suits  a  familiar  than  a 
grave  style,"  should  be,  "  suits  a  familiar  rather  than  a 
grave  style." 

"It  is  a  frequent  error  in  the  writings  even  of  some 
good  authors,"  should  be,  "  in  the  writings  of  even  some 
good  authors." 

"Both  the  circumstances  of  contingency  and  futurity 
are  necessary,"  should  be,  "The  circumstances  of  con- 
tingency and  futurity  are  both  necessary." 

"  He  has  made  charges  .  .  .  which  he  has  failed  utterly 
to  sustain." — New  York  Tribune.  Here  it  is  uncertain,  at 
first  sight,  which  verb  the  adverb  is  intended  to  qualify  ; 


THE    VERBALIST. 


1/5 


but  the  nature  of  the  case  makes  it  probable  that  the  writer 
meant  "  has  utterly  failed  to  sustain." 

"  Under  twenty  years  of  Republican  rule  and  policy 
our  commerce  has  been  left  to  British  bottoms,  and  almost 
has  the  American  flag  been  swept  off  the  high  seas." — 
Evening  Telegram.  Should  be,  "  and  the  American  flag 
has  been  swept  almost  off  the  high  seas." 

Mistaken.  "  If  I  am  not  mistaken,  you  are  in  the 
wrong,"  say,  "If  I  mistake  not."  "I  tell  you,  you  are 
mistaken."  Here  mistaken  means,  "  You  are  wrong  ;  you 
do  not  understand." 

The  locution,  "  You  are  mistaken,"  has  been  frequently 
attacked.  My  learned  friend,  Frof.  James  Wood  Davidson, 
comes  to  its  defense  thus  :  "  '  You  are  mistaken  '  is  a  euphe- 
mism for  '  You  are  wrong  '  ;  it  has  less  offensiveness.  '  You 
are  wrong*  is  a  direct  and  censorious  expression  ;  but  '  You 
are  mistaken  '  says  '  You  have  been  led  away  from  the  facts 
by  specious  circumstances  or  things,  and  thus  have  failed 
to  get  at  the  truth ' — a  softened  and  civil  criticism.  Mis- 
taken =  to  take  amiss,  or  into  error  ;  and  to  be  mistaken  is 
to  be  taken  or  led  into  error.  '  You  are  mistaken  '=  '  You 
have  been  led  into  error.'  " 

Yon  are,  or  he  is — as  the  case  may  be — in  error,  is  the 
phrase  preferred  by  many  speakers. 

The  locution,  "  You  are  mistaken,"  is  found  in  Shake- 
speare. 

Modest.  This  word  is  sometimes,  more  especially  in 
conversation,  employed  when  bashful  or  diffident  would 
convey  the  thought  intended.  Modest  and  retiring  are  op- 
posed to  forward,  self -sufficient,  and  conceited.  Persons 
that  are  only  modest  are  never  lacking  in  confidence  and 
self-possession,  while  the  bashful  and  diffident  are  always 
lacking  in  both. 


176  THE    VERBALIST. 

Modiste.  It  is  a  hazardous  thing  to  use  words  we  do 
not  know  the  meaning  of,  as  we  see  by  the  following  sen- 
tence :  "  It  is  not  more  than  ten  years  since  the  Viscountess 
de  Noue  shocked  the  good  ladies  of  St.  Louis  by  appearing 
at  one  of  the  fashionable  balls  there  in  a  dress  made  for 
her  by  a  Parisian  modiste  that  had  been  much  admired  in 
that  city." 

According  to  this,  the  viscountess  had  her  gowns  made 
by  a  milliner.  The  French  for  dressmaker  is  couturiere  en 
robes. 

Monopoly.  "  The  frequent  and  glaring  misuse  of  this 
term  is  of  no  little  importance,  as  it  leads  to  confusion  of 
thought  and  sometimes  to  very  ill-advised  political  action. 
A  monopoly  is  an  industry  that  is  protected  from  compe- 
tition by  legal  enactment.  Certain  demagogues  are  doing 
their  best  to  lead  the  unthinking  multitude  to  apply  the 
term  to  industries  which  are  perfectly  open  to  competition, 
but  in  which,  for  one  reason  or  another,  nobody  cares  to 
compete — a  very  widely  different  thing.  The  owner  of  a 
patent  has  a  monopoly  ;  but  the  notion  that  railroading, 
banking,  or  gasmaking  can  be  a  monopoly,  as  long  as  all 
the  world  is  at  liberty  to  engage  therein  if  it  pleases,  is  at 
once  grotesque  and  dangerous." — Our  Common  Speech,  by 
Gilbert  M.  Tucker. 

More  perfect.  Such  expressions  as,  "  the  more  perfect 
of  the  two,"  "  the  most  perfect  thing  of  the  kind  I  have 
ever  seen,"  "  the  most  complete  cooking-stove  ever  invent- 
ed," and  the  like,  can  not  be  defended  logically,  as  noth- 
ing can  be  more  perfect  than  perfection,  or  more  complete 
than  completeness.  Still  such  phrases  are,  and  probably 
will  continue  to  be,  used  by  good  writers. 

Most.  "  Everybody  abuses  this  word,"  says  Mr.  Gould 
in  his  Good  English  ;  and  then,  in  another  paragraph,  he 


THE    VERBALIST.  \-y 

adds  :  "  If  a  man  would  cross  out  most  wherever  he  can 
find  it  in  any  book  in  the  English  language,  he  would  in 
fl/most  every  instance  improve  the  style  of  the  book." 
That  this  statement  may  appear  within  bounds,  he  gives 
many  examples  from  good  authors,  some  of  which  are  the 
following  :  "  A  most  profound  silence  "  ;  "a  most  [very]  just 
idea";  "aww/fvery]  complete  orator";  "  this  was  most 
[very]  extraordinary  "  ;  "  an  object  of  most  perfect  esteem  "  ; 
"  a  most  [very]  extensive  erudition  "  ;  "  he  gave  it  most  lib- 
erally away";  "it  is,  most  assuredly,  not  because  I  value 
his  services  least "  ;  "  would  most  [very]  seriously  affect 
us "  ;  "  that  such  a  system  must  most  [very]  widely  and 
most  [very]  powerfully,"  etc.  ;  "  it  is  most  [very]  effectu- 
ally nailed  to  the  counter"  ;  "  it  is  most  [quite]  undeniable 
that,"  etc. 

In  nearly  all  these  examples,  if  an  intensive  is  desired, 
very  would  be  the  proper  word  to  use. 

This  word  is  much,  and  very  erroneously,  used  for  al- 
most. "  He  comes  here  most  every  day."  The  user  of 
such  a  sentence  as  this  means  to  say  that  he  comes  nearly 
every  day,  but  he  really  says,  if  he  says  anything,  that  he 
comes  more  every  day  than  he  does  every  night.  In  such 
sentences  almost,  and  not  most,  is  the  word  to  use. 

Mutual.  This  word  is  much  misused  in  the  phrase 
"  our  mutual  friend."  Macaulay  says  :  "  Mutual  friend  is 
a  low  vulgarism  for  common  friend."  Mutual  properly  re- 
lates to  two  persons,  and  implies  reciprocity  of  sentiment — 
sentiment,  be  it  what  it  may,  received  and  returned.  Thus 
we  say  properly,  "John  and  James  have  a  mutual  affec- 
tion," or  "  a  mutual  aversion  " — i.  e.,  they  like  or  dislike  each 
other;  or,  "John  and  James  are  mutually  dependent" — 
i.  e.,  they  are  dependent  on  each  other.  In  using  the  word 
mutual,  care  should  be  taken  not  to  add  the  words  for  each 


i78 


THE    VERBALIST. 


other  or  on  each  other,  the  thought  conveyed  by  these  words 
being  already  expressed  in  the  word  mutual.  "  Dependent 
on  each  other  "  is  the  exact  equivalent  of  "  mutually  de- 
pendent." 

Mutual  is  often  misused  for  common.  Here  are  some 
examples  of  the  correct  use  of  the  two  words  : 

"  After  the  hurry  of  our  recognition  was  over,  he  pointed 
out  two  of  our  common  friends." 

"  Common  enmities  are  said  to  cement  friendship."  Sub- 
stitute mutual  for  common  and  the  meaning  will  be  wholly 
changed.  Mutual  enmity  means  ill-will  borne  by  two  per- 
sons, the  one  toward  the  other,  while  common  enmity  means 
ill-will  borne  by  two  or  more  persons  toward  a  common 
object. 

"Our  former  correspondence  was  renewed,  with  the 
most  hearty  expression  of  mutual  good  will." 

"These  particulars  I  learned  from  the  vicar,  when  we 
left  the  room,  that  they  might  be  under  no  restraint  in  their 
mutual  effusions." 

"  As  you  and  I  have  no  common  friend,  I  can  tell  you  no 
private  history." 

"  Of  two  adversaries,  it  would  be  rash  to  condemn  either 
upon  the  evidence  [testimony]  of  the  other  ;  and  a  common 
friend  must  keep  himself  suspended  at  least  till  he  has 
heard  both." 

"  The  parts  of  our  constitution  have  gradually,  and  al- 
most insensibly,  in  a  long  course  of  time,  accommodated 
themselves  to  each  other  [one  another]  and  to  their  common 
as  well  as  to  their  separate  purposes." 

"  They  met  at  the  house  of  a  common  friend." 

"  A  common  dislike  is  a  great  bond  of  friendship." 

"  Their  mutual  dislike  (i.  e.,  their  dislike  for  each  other) 
was  well  known." 


THE    VERBALIST. 


179 


"  With  compliments  to  all  our  common  friends,  I  am,"  etc. 

Here  are  some  examples  of  the  misuse  of  the  two  words  : 

"  They  speedily  [soon]  discovered  that  their  enjoyment 
[love]  of  dancing  and  music  was  mutual  [common]." 

"  The  king  saw  he  had  no  interest  in  becoming  their 
mutual  [common]  executioner." 

"  We  have  the  vulgarism  of  mutual  friend  for  common 
friend." — Macaulay. 

"  When  suddenly,  and  much  to  our  mutual  [common] 
astonishment,  we  found  ourselves  within  ten  paces  of  my 
wife  and  brother." 

"  Our  sincere  and  grateful  sense  of  their  kind  and  heart- 
felt sympathy  with  us  in  the  mutual  loss  we  have  sustained 
by  the  untimely  decease  [death]  of  our  late  brother." 

Mutual  is  here  not  only  misused,  but,  like  late,  it  is 
superfluous,  unless  the  meaning  intended  is  that  the  loss 
was  common  to  all  parties — to  the  sympathizers  as  well  as 
to  the  sympathized  with — which  docs  not  seem  to  be  the 
case. 

"  To  their  mutual  [common]  astonishment  they  saw  a 
pen  move  itself  into  an  erect  position." 

"Our  intercourse  with  our  mutual  [common]  cousins 
was  like  that  between  [among]  brothers  and  sisters." 

"  Shakespeare,  the  mutual  [common]  ancestor  of  Eng- 
lishmen and  Americans." 

"  Our  astonishment  was  mutual  [common]  at  the  al- 
tered tone  of  these  papers." 

Myself.  This  form  of  the  personal  pronoun  is  prop- 
erly used  in  the  nominative  case  only  where  increased  em- 
phasis is  aimed  at. 

"  I  had  as  lief  not  be,  as  live  to  be 
In  awe  of  such  a  thing  as  I  myself." 
"I  will  do  it  myself"  "I  saw  it  myself."     It  is  therefor? 


T8o  THE    VERBALIST. 

incorrect  to  say,  "  Mrs.  Brown  and  myself  [I]  were  both 
much  pleased." 

"  I  intended  to  send  James,  but  he  was  ill,  so  I  had  to 
go  myself."    See  Reflexive  Pronouns. 

Name.  This  word  is  sometimes  improperly  used  for 
mention  ;  thus,  "  I  never  named  the  matter  to  any  one  " 
should  be  "  I  never  mentioned  the  matter  to  any  one." 

Nasty.  In  England  much  used  in  the  sense  of  dis- 
agreeable. 

"  This  word,  at  best  not  well  suited  to  dainty  lips,  is 
of  late  years  shockingly  misused  by  British  folk  who  should 
be  ashamed  of  such  slipshod  English."  A  titled  English 
woman  is  said  to  have  remarked  to  the  gentleman  by  her 
side  at  dinner,  "  Do  try  this  soup  ;  it  isn't  half  nasty." 

"  '  Oh,  don't  you  think  "  nice  "  is  a  nasty  word  ? '  asked 
Oscar  Wilde  of  a  bright  Cleveland  girl,  the  other  evening, 
when  the  little  beauty  retorted,  '  And  do  you  think  nas/y 
is  a  nice  word  ? '  " 

Neighborhood.     See  Vicinity. 

Neither.     See  Either. 

Neither.     Should  not  be  used  for  none  nor  for  any  one. 

"  There  were  artisans,  tradesmen,  and  gentlemen,  but 
neither  [none]  were  allowed  any  special  privileges."  "  Ex- 
cept in  cases  of  unusual  audacity,  neither  [no  one]  pre- 
sumed to  wear  the  dress  of  his  betters."     See  Either. 

Neither — Nor.  "  He  would  neither  give  wine,  nor  oil, 
nor  money." — Thackeray.  The  conjunction  should  be  placed 
before  the  excluded  object ;  "  neither  give  "  implies  neither 
some  other  verb,  a  meaning  not  intended.  Rearrange  thus, 
taking  all  the  common  parts  of  the  contracted  sentences  to- 
gether :  "  He  would  give  neither  wine,  nor  oil,  nor  money." 
So,  "  She  can  neither  help  her  beauty,  nor  her  courage,  nor 
h?r  cruelty  "  (Thackeray),  should  be, "  She  can  help  neither" 


THE    VERBALIST.  181 

etc.  "  He  had  neither  time  to  intercept  nor  to  stop  her  " 
(Scott),  should  be,  "  He  had  time  neither  to  intercept,"  etc, 
"  Some  neither  can  for  wits  nor  critics  pass"  (Pope),  should 
be,  "  Some  can  jieither  for  wits  nor  critics  pass." 

Never.  Grammarians  differ  with  regard  to  the  correct- 
ness of  using  never  in  such  sentences  as,  "  He  is  in  error, 
though  never  so  wise  "  ;  "  charm  he  never  so  wisely."  In 
sentences  like  these,  to  say  the  least,  it  is  better,  in  com- 
mon with  the  great  majority  of  writers,  to  use  ever. 

New  beginner.  All  beginners  are  new,  hence  to 
qualify  beginner  with  new  is  tautological. 

News.  This  word  is  very  often  improperly  used  in- 
stead of  tidings.  The  difference  between  the  two  words 
lies  therein  that  to  neivs  we  may  be  indifferent,  while  in 
tidings  we  are  always  interested.  News  gratifies  curiosity  ; 
tidings  allay  anxiety  or  suspense.  News  is  of  public,  tid- 
ings of  individual,  inteiest.  "  What  is  the  news  from  Wash- 
ington ? "     "  Have  you  had  any  tidings  of  your  brother?  " 

"  His  parents  received  the  news  [tidings]  of  his  seizure, 
but  beyond  that  they  could  learn  nothing." 

Nice.  Archdeacon  Hare  remarks  of  the  use — or  rather 
misuse — of  this  word  :  "  That  stupid  vulgarism  by  which  we 
use  the  word  nice  to  denote  almost  every  mode  of  approba- 
tion, for  almost  every  variety  of  quality,  and,  from  sheer 
poverty  of  thought,  or  fear  of  saying  anything  definite, 
wrap  up  everything  indiscriminately  in  this  characterless 
domino,  speaking  at  the  same  breath  of  a  nice  cheese-cake, 
a  nice  tragedy,  a  nice  sermon,  a  nice  day,  a  nice  country, 
as  if  a  universal  deluge  of  niaiserie — for  nice  seems  origi- 
nally to  have  been  only  niais — had  whelmed  the  whole 
island."  Nice  is  as  good  a  word  as  any  other  in  its  place, 
but  its  place  is  not  everywhere.  We  talk  very  properly 
about  a  nice  distinction,  a  nice  discrimination,  a  nice  calcu- 


t82  THE    VERBALIST. 

lation,  a  nice  point,  and  about  a  person's  being  nice,  and 
oxer-nice,  and  the  like  ;  but  we  certainly  should  not  talk 
about  Othello's  being  a  nice  tragedy,  about  Salvini's  being 
a  nice  actor,  or  New  York  bay's  being  a  nice  harbor.* 

Nicely.  The  very  quintessence  of  popinjay  vulgarity 
is  reached  when  nicely  is  made  to  do  service  for  well,  in 
this  wise  :  "  How  do  you  do  ?  "  "  Nicely."  "  How  are 
you  ?  "     "  Nicely." 

No.  This  word  of  negation  is  responded  to  by  nor  in 
sentences  like  this :  "  Let  your  meaning  be  obscure,  and 
no  grace  of  diction  nor  any  music  of  well-turned  sentences 
will  make  amends." 

"  Whether  he  is  there  or  no."  Supply  the  ellipsis,  and 
we  have,  "  Whether  he  is  there  or  no  there."  Clearly, 
the  word  to  use  in  sentences  like  this  is  not  no,  but  not. 
And  yet  our  best  writers  sometimes  inadvertently  use  no 
with  whether.  Example  :  "  But  perhaps  some  people  are 
quite  indifferent  whether  or  no  it  is  said,"  etc. — Richard 
Grant  White.  Supply  the  ellipsis,  and  we  have,  "  said  or 
no  said."  In  a  little  book  entitled  Live  and  Learn,  I  find, 
"No  less  than  fifty  persons  were  there;  no  fewer,"  etc. 
In  correcting  one  mistake,  the  writer  himself  makes  one. 
It  should  be,  "  Not  fewer,"  etc.  If  we  ask,  "  There  were 
fifty  persons  there — were  there,  or  were  there  ?iot?"  the  re- 
ply clearly  would  be,  "  There  were  not  fewer  than  fifty." 
"  There  was  no  one  of  them  who  would  not  have 
been  proud,"  etc.,  should  be,  "  There  was  not  one  of 
them." 

"  No  is  a  shortened  form  of  none  =  not  one,  and  there  - 

*  The  possessive  construction  here  is,  in  my  judgment,  not  impera- 
tively demanded.  There  is  certainly  no  lack  of  authority  for  putting 
the  three  substantives  in  the  accusative.  The  possessive  construction 
seems  to  me,  however,  to  be  pielerable. 


THE    VERBALIST. 


183 


fore  the  indefinite  article  is  pleonastic  in  '  No  stronger  and 
stranger  a  figure.'  " — McCarthy. 

None.  Commonly  treated  as  a  plural  :  as,  "None  of 
them  were  taller  than  I."  Though  none  is  a  contraction  of 
not  one,  to  construe  none,  in  a  sentence  like  this,  as  a  sin- 
gular, would  antagonize  prevailing  usage.  Instead  of  using 
none  as  a  singular,  it  is  better  to  write  not  one,  or  no  one. 

In  answer  to  such  a  question  as,  "  Did  you  bring  me  a 
letter?  "  it  is  quite  correct  to  say,  "  There  was  none  in  your 
box." 

"  There  is  [are]  none  of  us  who  would  relish  such  treat- 
ment." 

"  All  that  is  being  said  is  said  upon  [on]  the  responsi- 
bility of  the  persons  who  say  it ;  none  [not  one]  of  them 
knows  how  near  the  truth  he  is."  Change  none  to  not  one, 
and  the  sentence  is  more  emphatic  than  it  would  be  if 
knows  were  changed  to  know. 

"  Imagine  a  land  where  none  is  [are]  free  to  write  or 
[to]  say  anything  except  what  the  Government,"  etc. 

Not.  The  correlative  of  not,  when  it  stands  in  the  first 
member  of  a  sentence,  is  nor  or  neither.  "  Net  for  thy 
ivory  nor  thy  gold  will  I  unbind  thy  chain."  "  I  will  not 
do  it,  neither  shall  you." 

The  wrong  placing  of  not  often  gives  rise  to  an  imper- 
fect negation;  thus,  "John  and  James  were  not  there," 
means  that  John  and  James  were  not  there  in  company.  It 
does  not  exclude  the  presence  of  one  of  them.  The  nega- 
tive should  precede  in  this  case :  "  Neither  John  nor  James 
was  there."  "  Our  company  was  not  present  "  (as  a  com- 
pany, but  some  of  us  might  have  been),  should  be,  "  No 
member  of  our  company  was  present." 

"  I  may  say,  'What  was  my  astonishment,'  and  I  may 
say,  '  What  was  not  my  astonishment,'  and  I  may  convey 


1 84  TIIE    VERBALIST. 

the  same  meaning.  By  the  former  I  mean,  *  How  great 
was  my  astonishment ' ;  by  the  latter,  that  no  astonishment 
could  be  greater  than  mine  was." — Alford. 

Not — but  only.  "  Errors  frequently  arise  in  the  use 
of  not — but  only,  to  understand  which  we  must  attend  to 
the  force  of  the  whole  expression.  '  He  did  not  pretend  to 
extirpate  French  music,  but  only  to  cultivate  and  civilize 
it.'  Here  the  not  is  obviously  misplaced.  '  He  pretended, 
or  professed,  not  to  extirpate.'  " — Bain. 

Nothing  like.  Often  improperly  used  for  not  nearly. 
"  She  is  nothing  like  as  [not  nearly  so]  clever  as  her  sister." 

Notorious.  Though  this  word  can  not  be  properly 
used  in  any  but  a  bad  sense,  we  sometimes  see  it  used  in- 
stead of  noted,  which  may  be  used  in  either  a  good  or  a 
bad  sense.  Notorious  characters  are  always  persons  to  be 
shunned,  whereas  noted  characters  may  or  may  not  be  per- 
sons to  be  shunned. 

"  This  is  the  tax  a  man  must  pay  for  his  virtues — they 
hold  up  a  torch  to  his  vices  and  render  those  frailties 
notorious  in  him  which  [that]  would  pass  without  observa- 
tion in  another." — Lacon. 

Noun  Construction.  The  noun  construction  is  a  con- 
struction that' is  well-nigh  universally  employed,  and  yet,  in 
strictness,  it  is  commonly — perhaps  invariably — ungram- 
matical.  Wordy  it  certainly  always  is.  By  noun  construc- 
tion I  would  designate  that  construction  that  expresses 
action,  doing,  without  employing  a  verb  in  any  form 
soever  ;  as,  for  example,  "  It  tends  to  the  elimination  0/the 
weak  and  the  preservation  of  the  strong." — N.  Y.  Sun, 
March  3,  1895. 

This  sentence  is  weak — the  result  of  having  fifty  per 
cent  more  syllables  than  are  necessary — and,  to  my  think- 
ing,  it   is   ungrammatical.      Its    grammar   is   mended    by 


THE    VERBALIST.  185 

changing  the  nouns  elimination  and  preservation  to  the 
verbal  nouns  eliminating  and  preserving,  and  both  grammar 
and  rhetoric  are  mended  by  employing  infinitives,  which 
would  give  us,  "  It  tends  to  eliminate  the  weak  and  to  pre- 
serve the  strong  " — thirteen  syllables  against  twenty-one. 

"  The  determination  [determining]  of  distances  with  a 
telemeter,"  etc.— Standard  Dictionary. 

"  Education  that  is  not  centered  on  the  refinement  [re- 
fining] and  ennoblement  [ennobling]  of  the  mind  ...  is 
worse  than  the  shadow." — Dawson. 

"  Chief  Byrnes  puts  at  the  disposal  of  Mayor  Strong  his 
services  for  the  reformation  [reforming]  and  reorganization 
[reorganizing]  of  the  police  force." — N.  V.  Sun. 

"  The  slowness  in  the  collection  [collecting]  and  circu- 
lation [circulating]  of  news,"  etc.  [better :  in  collecting  and 
circulating  news]. 

"Cleveland  must  attend  to  the  execution  of  the  income 
tax."— N.  V.  Sun.  Execute  a  tax  ? !  [Attend  to  the  col- 
lecting (?)] 

"  The  arrangements  for  diffusing  education  and  the 
establishment  ^/newspapers." — N.  V.  Sun.  Why  two  forms 
of  expression  in  the  same  sentence?  Why  not  "establish- 
ing newspapers  "  ? 

"  In  the  consideration  of  [considering]  Hamlet's  case, 
nothing  should  be,"  etc. — Richard  Grant  White. 

"  No  department  .  .  .  offered  less  encouragement  to 
the  spirit  of  monopoly  than  the  production  [producing],  re- 
finement [refining],  and  distribution  [distributing]  of  this 
natural  oil." 

"  It   is   not   by   the  consolidation   or  the  concentration 
of  powers,  but  by  their  distribution,  that  good  government 
is  effected"  [It   is  not  by  consolidating  or  concentrating 
powers,  but  by  distributing  them,  that,  etc.]. 
13 


1 86  THE    VERBALIST. 

"  If  they  are  not  competent  for  the  exercise  of  [to  exer- 
cise] the  franchise,  they  are  incompetent  for  the  adminis- 
tration of  [to  administer]  public  affairs." — N.  Y.  Sun. 

"  Its  policy  must  be  free  from  suspicion  either  in  secur- 
ing the  appropriations  or  in  the  assignment  of  [assigning] 
the  work." — N.  Y.  Sun. 

"The  great  endowment  left  by  Mr.  Lenox  for  the  estab- 
lishment of  [to  establish]  a  library,"  etc. — N.  Y.  Sun. 

"  The  imposition  [imposing]  of  a  license  tax,"  etc. — 
N.  Y.  Sun. 

"  Why  .  .  .  less  objection  to  landing  European  forces 
for  the  occupation  of  [to  occupy]  Corinto  than  for  the 
occupation  of  [to  occupy]  Samana  ?  " — N.  Y.  Sun. 

"  Such  war  could  only  be  waged  [tr.  only]  for  the  pur- 
pose of  [to  inflict]  punishment,  and  not  for  the  acquisition 
of  [to  acquire]  territory." — N.  Y.  Sun. 

"When  France  sent  war  ships  for  the  enforcement  of 
[to  enforce]  a  claim." — N.  Y.  Sun. 

"  The  collection  [collecting]  of  duties  will  be  conducted," 
etc.— N.  Y.  Sun. 

"  The  policy  of  the  administration  has  resulted  in  the 
establishment  of  [establishing]  a  precedent,"  etc. — N.  Y. 
Sun. 

"  England  has  made  other  demands,  among  them  the 
assent  of  N.  to  the  appointment  [appointing]  of  a  commis- 
sion," etc. — N.  Y.  Sun. 

"  The  preparation  [preparing]  of  tobacco  for  use  is  called 
curing.  It  has  for  its  purpose  the  drying  and  preservation 
[preserving]  of  the  leaf  as  well  as  the  development  [devel- 
oping] of  the  peculiar  aroma." 

"  The  Legislature  may  provide  by-laws  for  the  supervis- 
ion [supervising],  registration  [registering],  cont/ol  [control* 
ing],  and  identification  [identifying]  of  all  persons." 


THE    VERBALIST.  187 

"  Statistics  is  the  science  that  deals  with  the  collection 
[collecting],  classification  [classifying],  and  tabulation 
[tabulating]  of  facts." — Standard  Dictionary. 

"  Economics  is  the  science  that  treats  of  the  develop- 
ment [developing]  of  material  resources,  or  of  the  produc- 
tion [producing],  preservation  [preserving],  and  distribu- 
tion [distributing]  of  wealth,"  etc. — Standard  Dictionary. 

"  It  must  have  been  earlier  than  the  time  when  the 
earth  became  fitted  for  the  reception  of  [to  receive]  organ- 
ized life." 

"  The  quality  of  being  salubrious  or  favorable  to  the 
preservation  [preserving]  or  restoration  [restoring]  of 
health." — Standard  Dictionary. 

"  Mr.  Iselin  is  giving  unremitting  personal  care  and 
labor  to  the  supervision  [supervising]  and  development  [de- 
veloping] of  the  Defender." — N.  Y.  Sun. 

"  It  is  merely  a  matter  of  police  regulation  ;  it  will  also 
be  serviceable  in  the  imposition  and  collection  [imposing 
and  collecting]  of  taxes." — N.  Y.  Sun. 

"  The  indication  of  an  infinitive  by  to  without  the 
actual  expression  of  the  verb  to  which  it  belongs  is  a  col- 
loquialism." Rewritten :  The  indicating  of  an  infinitive 
with  to  without  the  verb  it  belongs  to  is  a  colloquialism. 
See  Verbal  Nouns. 

No  use.  If  we  would  be  idiomatic,  we  must  say  of  no 
use. 

Novice.     See  Amateur.     See  page  324. 

Novitiate — Novice.  These  words  stand  in  the  same 
relation  to  each  other  that  consulate  stands  to  consul,  yet 
novitiate  is  often  misused  for  novice,  thus :  "  Henryson 
seems  to  have  traveled  in  his  youth  as  a  novitiate  [novice] 
of  the  Franciscan  order." 

Both  words   are  properly  used  thus  :   "  She  has  been 


1 88  THE    VERBALIST. 

hitherto  little  more  than  a  novice,  but  the  intelligence  and 
force  she  displays  as  Miriam  brings  her  novitiate  to  an 
end." 

Novitiate  means  the  state  or  time  of  being  a  novice. 

Number.  It  is  not  an  uncommon  thing  for  a  pronoun 
in  the  plural  number  to  be  used  in  connection  with  an 
antecedent  in  the  singular. 

"  Fifty  dollars  reward  for  the  conviction  of  any  person 
caught  collecting  or  keeping  fares  given  to  them  to  deposit 
in  the  box  "  :  should  be,  to  him.  "  A  person  may  be  very 
near-sighted  if  they  can  not  recognize  an  acquaintance  ten 
feet  off."     Should  be,  if  he. 

The  verb  to  be  is  often  used  in  the  singular  when  it 
should  be  in  the  plural ;  thus,  "  There  is  several  reasons 
why  it  would  be  better  "  :  say  are.  "  How  many  is  there  ?  " 
say  are.  "  There  is  four  "  :  say  are.  "  Was  there  many  ?  " 
say  were.     "  No  matter  how  many  there  teas"  :  say  were. 

"  When  singular  nouns  connected  by  and  are  preceded 
by  each,  every,  or  no,  the  verb  must  be  singular."  We  say, 
for  example,  "Each  boy  and  each  girl  studies."  "  Every 
leaf,  and  every  twig,  and  every  drop  of  water  teems  with 
life."     "  No  book  and  no  paper  was  arranged." 

Each  being  singular,  a  pronoun  or  verb  to  agree  with 
it  must  also  be  singular  ;  thus,  "  Let  them  depend  each  on 
his  own  exertions  "  ;  "  Each  city  has  its  peculiar  privileges  "  ; 
"  Everybody  has  a  right  to  look  after  his  own  interest." 

Errors  are  often  made  by  not  repeating  the  verb  ;  thus, 
"  Its  significance  is  as  varied  as  the  passions  " :  correctly, 
"  as  are  the  passions."  "  The  words  are  as  incapable  of 
analysis  as  the  thing  signified  "  :  correctly,  "  as  is  the  thing 
signified." 

"  When  the  nominative,"  says  Bain,  "  is  a  relative  pro- 
noun, we  must  look  to  the  antecedent  in  order  to  deter- 


THE    VERBALIST.  189 

mine  the  number  of  the  verb."     "  One  of  the  most  valuable 
books  that  have  [not  has]  appeared  in  any  language." 

"  This  is  one  of  the  best  treatises  on  money  and  coins 
that  has  [have]  ever  been  published." 

"  I  confess  I  am  one  of  those  who  am  [are]  unable  to 
refuse  my  [their]  assent  to  the  conclusions  of  those  philoso- 
phers," etc. 

"  One  of  those  fanciful,  exotic  combinations  that  gives 
[give]  the  same  expression  of  brilliancy  and  richness,"  etc. 

"  One  of  the  first  things  that  opens  [open]  your  eyes  to 
the  state  of  domestic  service,"  etc. 

"  The  plan  of  Mr.  Bright  was  certainly  one  of  the  bold- 
est that  has  [have]  ever  been  put  forward." 

"  Whereon  Don  Guzman  replied  with  one  of  those  smiles 
of  his  that  was  [were]  so  like  a  sneer." 

Numerous.  Often  used  when  the  proper  word  is  many 
or  large. 

Numerous  means,  consisting  of  a  great  number  ;  being 
many.  Though  "  We  have  a  numerous  acquaintance  "  is 
permissible,  it  is  not  permissible  to  say,  "  We  have  numer- 
ous acquaintances  "  "  A  large  acquaintance  "  or  "  many 
acquaintances  "  is  what  we  should  say.  Numerous,  it  would 
seem,  is  most  used  to  qualify  nouns  having  a  collective  sig- 
nification, such  as  family,  class,  army,  assembly,  and  the 
like  ;  but  even  then  large  is  usually — perhaps  always — the 
better  word  to  use. 

I  can  not  think  of  a  sentence  in  which  numerous  is  the 
best  adjective  to  use,  when  placed  before  its  noun  ;  when 
placed  after  its  noun  the  task  is  easier,  and  for  such  a  use 
of  the  word  the  following  sentence  offers  an  excellent  ex- 
ample : 

"  The  reports  made  to  the  commissioner  by  his  special 
agents  furnish  proof  that  the  land  thieves  have  been  more 


jqq  THE    VERBALIST. 

powerful — if  not,  in  fact,  more  numerous — than  the  honest 
settlers." 

O — Oh.  It  is  only  the  most  careful  writers  that  use 
these  two  interjections  with  proper  discrimination.  The 
distinction  between  them  is  said  to  be  modern.  Oh  is 
simply  an  exclamation,  and  should  always  be  followed  by 
some  mark  of  punctuation,  usually  by  an  exclamation  point. 
"  Oh  !  you  are  come  at  last."  "  Oh,  help  him,  you  sweet 
heavens!"  "Oh,  woe  is  me!"  "Oh!  I  die,  Horatio." 
O,  in  addition  to  being  an  exclamation,  denotes  a  calling  to 
or  adjuration  ;  thus,  "  Hear,  O  heavens,  and  give  ear,  O 
earth!"  "O  grave,  where  is  thy  victory?"  "O  heav- 
enly powers,  restore  him!"  "O  shame!  where  is  thy 
blush  ? " 

Obedience.     Sometimes  misused  for  response. 

"  These  articles,  in  the  course  of  [during]  their  publi- 
cation, have  [omit]  aroused  [excited]  a  profound  interest 
[in  what  ?],  and  the  present  cheap  edition  is  [published]  in 
obedience  [response]  to  a  demand  for  the  papers  in  a  form," 
etc. 

We  obey  a  ««mand  and  respond  to  a  </<-mand. 

We  say,  "  In  the  course  of  the  evening  there  was  an 
alarm  of  fire,"  and  "  during  the  evening  [i.  e.,  the  whole 
evening]  there  was  a  smell  of  smoke  in  the  hall." 

Obliterate.  Sometimes,  as  in  the  following  sentence, 
misused  for  destroy : 

"  Yet  writers  of  standing  have  often  confounded  [often 
confound]  these  two  words,  thereby  obliterating  [destroy- 
ing] the  separate  functions  of  each  [their  separate  func- 
tions]."— Dr.  Hodgson. 

English  idiom  permits  us  to  say  that  happiness,  peace, 
or  a  function  has  been  destroyed,  but  it  does  not  permit  us 
to  say  that  either  of  them  has  been  obliterated.     Obliterate, 


THE    VERBALIST.  191 

like  its  synonym  erase,  is  never  properly  used  in  any  but  a 
physical  sense. 

Observe.  The  dictionaries  authorize  the  use  of  this 
word  as  a  synonym  of  say  and  remark  ;  as,  for  example, 
"What  did  you  observe ?"  for  "What  did  you  say,  or  re- 
mark!" In  this  sense,  however,  it  is  better  to  leave 
observe  to  the  exclusive  use  of  those  that  delight  in  being 
fine. 

Of  all  others.  "  The  vice  of  covetousness,  of  all  oth- 
ers, enters  deepest  into  the  soul."  This  sentence  says  that 
covetousness  is  one  of  the  other  vices.  A  thing  can  not  be 
another  thing,  nor  can  it  be  one  of  a  number  of  ot/ier  things. 
The  sentence  should  be,  "Of  all  the  vices,  covetousness  en- 
ters deepest  into  the  soul  "  ;  or,  "  The  vice  of  covetousness, 
of  all  the  vices,  enters,"  etc. ;  or,  "  The  vice  of  covetousness, 
more  than  all  other  vices,  enters,"  etc. 

Of  any.  This  phrase  is  often  used  when  of  all  is 
meant  ;  thus,  "  This  is  the  largest  of  any  I  have  seen  "  : 
should  be,  "  the  largest  of  all"  etc.  If  any  is  used,  it 
should  be  with  the  comparative,  "  This  is  larger  than  any 
other,"  for  example. 

Off  of.  In  such  sentences  as  "  Give  me  a  yard  off  of 
this  piece  of  calico,"  either  the  off  or  the  of  is  superfluous. 
The  sentence  would  be  correct  with  either  one,  but  not 
with  both  of  them.  "The  apples  fell  off  of  the  tree": 
read,  "  fell  0jf  the  tree." 

Often.  This  adverb  is  properly  compared  by  changing 
its  termination — often,  oftener,  oftenest.  Why  some  writers 
use  more  and  most  to  compare  it,  it  is  not  easy  to  see  ;  this 
mode  of  comparing  it  is  certainly  not  euphonious. 

Older — Elder.  "  He  is  the  older  man  of  the  two,  and 
the  oldest  in  the  neighborhood."  "He  is  the  elder  of  the 
two  sons,  and  the  eldest  of  the  family."     "  The  elder  son  is 


\()2 


THE    VERBALIST. 


heir  to  the   estate  ;  he    is   older  than  his  brother   by  ten 
years." 

On.     Sales  are  made  by,  not  on,  subscription. 

"  Both  volumes  will  be  sold  exclusively  on  [by]  subscrip- 
tion.'* 

"  On  seems  to  be  a  favorite  preposition  with  Americans  ; 
at  least  it  is  constantly  found  where  other  prepositions  would 
seem  to  be  more  correct  and  appropriate.  F.  G.  Halleck, 
in  condemning  the  abuse  of  on,  quoted  the  phrases  :  '  Go- 
ing to  Europe  on  a  steamboat  ;  writing  a  letter  on  Cham- 
bers Street,  and  delivering  it  on  Fifth  Avenue.'  Persons 
are  constantly  heard  to  speak  of  friends  whom  they  saw  on 
the  street,  and  having  come  on  the  cars,  while  in  the  South 
members  are  elected  to  sit  on  the  Legislature. — Scheie  de 
Vere. 

The  locution  "  on  the  street  "  has  a  signification  in  Eng- 
land that  deters  every  one  from  using  it  in  the  sense  of  "in 
the  street." 

On  to.  We  get  on  a  chair,  on  an  omnibus,  on  a  stump, 
on  "  a  high  horse,"  and  on  a  spree  ;  not  on  to.  On  to  should 
not  be  used  except  in  cases  where  both  words  are  necessary 
to  prevent  ambiguity. 

On — Upon.  The  preference  of  many  writers  would 
seem  to  be  for  upon.  We  are  told  of  something  that  hap- 
pened upon  Monday  last,  or  of  something  that  is  going  to 
happen  upon  Decoration  Day,  and  yet,  in  writing  prose,  we 
could  get  on  very  well  if  there  were  no  such  word. 

"  Upon  differs  very  little  in  use  from  on,"  says  the  Stand- 
ard Dictionary.  "  Upon  is  sometimes  used  for  reasons  of 
euphony  or  rhythm,  and  is  also  sometimes  preferable  when 
motion  or  position  is  involved  :  on  when  merely  rest  or  sup- 
port is  to  be  indicated.  Upon  is  sometimes  written  in  two 
words  ;  as,  "  Let  us  go  up  on  the  roof." 


THE    VERBALIST. 


1 93 


One.  Certain  pronouns  of  demonstrative  signification 
are  called  indefinite  because  they  refer  to  no  particular 
subject.  This  is  one  of  them.  If  we  were  putting  a  sup- 
position by  way  of  argument  or  illustration,  we  might  say, 
"  Suppose  /were  to  lose  my  way  in  a  wood"  ;  or,  "  Sup- 
pose you  were  to  lose  your  way  in  a  wood  "  ;  or,  "  Suppose 
one  were  to  lose  one's  way  in  a  wood."  All  these  forms  are 
used,  but,  as  a  rule,  the  last  is  to  be  preferred.  The  first 
verges  on  egotism,  and  the  second  makes  free  with  an- 
other's person,  whereas  the  third  is  indifferent.  "If  one's 
honesty  were  impeached,  what  should  one  do?"  is  more 
courtly  than  to  take  either  one's  self  or  the  person  addressed 
for  the  example. 

One  should  be  followed  by  one,  and  not  by  he.  "  The 
better  acquainted  one  is  with  any  kind  of  rhetorical  trick, 
the  less  liable  he  is  to  be  misled  by  it  "  :  should  be,  "  the 
less  liable  one  is  to  be  misled  by  it." 

"Can  one  do  what  he  [one]  chooses   with  his   [one's] 
money?     Can  he  [one]  destroy  it  ?  " — Corr.  N.  Y.  Sun. 

Professor  Bain  says,  in  his  Composition  Grammar  : 

"  This  pronoun  continually  lands  writers  in  difficulties. 
English  idiom  requires  that  when  the  pronoun  has  to  be 
again  referred  to  it  should  be  used  itself  a  second  time. 
The  correct  usage  is  shown  by  Pope  :  '  One  may  be  ashamed 
to  consume  half  one's  days  in  bringing  sense  and  rhyme  to- 
gether.'    It  would  be  against  idiom  to  say  '  half  Ms  days.' 

"  Still,  the  repetition  of  the  pronoun  is  often  felt  to  be 
heavy,  and  writers  have  recourse  to  various  substitutions." 

Fenimore  Cooper,  like  Scott,  is  not  very  particular ;  an 
example  may  be  quoted  :  "  Modesty  is  a  poor  man's  wealth  ; 
but,  as  we  grow  substantial  in  the  world,  patroon,  one  can 
afford  to  begin  to  speak  truth  of  himself  as  well  as  of  his 
neighbor."     Were  Cooper  a  careful  writer,  we  might  per- 


194  THE    VERBALIST. 

suade  ourselves  that  he  chose  we  and  one  with  a  purpose : 
we  might  indicate  that  the  speaker  had  himself  and  the  pa- 
troon  directly  in  his  eye,  although  at  the  same  time  he 
wanted  to  put  it  generally  ;  and  one  might  hint  that  mod- 
esty succeeded  in  getting  the  better  of  him.  But  himself 
and  his  would  alone  show  that  such  speculations  are  too 
refined  for  the  occasion. 

Men  was  more  frequent  in  good  writing  formerly  than 
now.  "  Neither  do  men  [does  one]  light  a  candle  and  put 
it  under  a  bushel."  "  Do  men  [does  one]  gather  grapes 
of  thorns  ? " 

"  When  one  suddenly  wakes  up  deaf,  one  forgets  for  a 
time  that  one  has  already  been  blind." 

One  is  frequently  used  superfluously;  as,  "It  might 
have  been  expressed  in  one  half  the  space." 

The  diction  is  always  bettered  by  repeating  the  noun  in 
sentences  like  this  : 

"It  is  often  hard  to  tell  a  good  man  from  a  bad  one 
by  his  face."  Say,  rather,  "a  good  man  from  a  bad 
man." 

Ones.  "  There  is  a  word,"  says  an  anonymous  English 
writer,  "  that,  especially  in  its  plural  form,  is  often  used 
without  any  necessity.  We  refer  to  the  word  ones.  '  The 
horses  were  very  fine  ones' ;  'there  were  many  admirable 
dresses,  and  among  the  best  ones  were  those  of  Lady  X. 
and  the  Countess  of  Y.'  ;  '  the  speeches  were  all  good,  the 
best  ones  being  by  Lord  Z.  and  the  Duke  of  Q.' ;  and  so 
on  ad  infinitum.  In  all  such  cases  ones  is  superfluous. 
The  same  word,  in  the  singular  and  in  the  plural,  is  often 
inelegantly  made  to  do  duty  for  some  other  term  when 
that  other  term  should  be  used.  The  avoidance  of  repe- 
tition is  of  course  at  times  desirable,  but  it  is  frequently 
proper  to  repeat  a  word  that  occurs  in  a  preceding  sen- 


THE    VERBALIST.  195 

tence,  particularly  if  ambiguity  would  be  the  result  of  not 
doing  so." 

"  Lord  Melbourne  was  a  man  of  very  different  abilities 
and  character  from  the  eminent  otus  [men]  that  have  now 
been  drawn." 

Only.  This  word,  when  used  as  an  adjective,  is  more 
frequently  misplaced  than  any  other  word  in  the  language. 
Indeed,  I  am  confident  that  it  is  not  correctly  placed  half 
the  time,  either  in  conversation  or  in  writing.  Thus,  "  In 
its  pages,  papers  of  sterling  merit  [only]  will  only  appear  " 
(Miss  Braddon) ;  "  Things  are  getting  dull  down  in  Texas  ; 
they  only  shot  [only]  three  men  down  there  last  week  "  ; 
"  I  have  only  got  [only]  three."  Only  is  sometimes  im- 
properly used  for  except  or  unless ;  thus,  "  The  trains  will 
not  stop  only  when  the  bell  rings."  The  meaning  here  is 
clearly  "except  when  the  bell  rings." 

Dr.  Bain,  in  his  Higher  English  Grammar,  speaking  of 
the  order  of  words,  says  : 

"  The  word  requiring  most  attention  is  only. 

"  According  to  the  position  of  only,  the  same  words  may 
be  made  to  express  very  different  meanings. 

"  '  He  only  lived  for  their  sakes.'  Here  only  must  be 
held  as  qualifying  '  lived  for  their  sakes,'  the  emphasis  being 
on  lived,  the  word  immediately  adjoining.  The  meaning 
then  is,  'he  lived,'  but  did  not  work,  did  not  die,  did  not  do 
any  other  thing  for  their  sakes. 

"  '  He  lived  only  for  their  sakes.'  Only  now  qualifies 
'  for  their  sakes,'  and  the  sentence  means,  he  lived  for  this  one 
reason,  namely,  for  their  sakes,  and  not  for  any  other  reason. 

"  '  He  lived  for  their  sakes  only.'  The  force  of  the 
word  when  placed  at  the  end  is  peculiar.  Then  it  often 
has  a  diminutive  or  disparaging  signification.  '  He  lived 
for  their  sakes,'  and  not  for  any  more  worthy  reason.     '  He 


196  THE    VERBALIST. 

gave  sixpence  only'  is  an  insinuation  that  more  was  ex- 
pected. 

"  By  the  use  of  alone,  instead  of  only,  other  meanings 
are  expressed.  '  He  alone  lived  for  their  sakes' ;  that  is, 
he,  and  nobody  else,  did  so.  '  He  lived  for  their  sakes 
alone,'  or,  '  for  the  sake  of  them  alone '  ;  that  is,  not  for  the 
sake  of  any  other  persons.  '  It  was  alone  by  the  help  of 
the  Confederates  that  any  such  design  could  be  carried 
out.'     Properly  only. 

"  '  When  men  grow  virtuous  in  their  old  age,  they  only 
make  a  sacrifice  to  God  of  the  devil's  leavings.' — Pope. 
Here  only  is  rightly  placed.  '  Think  only  of  the  past  as  its 
remembrance  gives  you  pleasure,'  should  be,  '  think  of  the 
past  only  as  its  remembrance,'  etc.  'As  he  did  not  leave 
his  name,  it  was  only  known  that  a  gentleman  had  called 
on  business ' :  it  was  known  only.  '  I  can  only  refute  the 
accusation  by  laying  before  you  the  whole ' :  this  would 
mean,  '  The  only  thing  I  am  able  to  do  is  to  refute  :  I  may 
not  retaliate,  or  let  it  drop  ;  I  must  refute  it.'  '  The  negroes 
are  to  appear  at  church  only  in  boots '  ;  that  is,  when  the 
negroes  go  to  church  they  are  to  have  no  clothing  but  boots. 
'  The  negroes  are  to  appear  only  at  church  in  boots '  might 
mean  that  they  are  not  to  appear  anywhere  but  at  church, 
whether  in  boots  or  out  of  them.  The  proper  arrangement 
would  be  to  connect  the  adverbial  adjunct,  in  boots,  vith 
its  verb,  appear,  and  to  make  only  qualify  at  church  and 
no  more  :  '  The  negroes  are  to  appear  in  boots  only  at 
church.' " 

It  thus  appears  very  plain  that  we  should  look  well  to 
our  onlys. 

"  His  eyes  only  directed  their  gaze  on  the  finest  feature 
of  each  face,  his  ears  only  caught  the  happiest  remarks, 
his  heart  only  thrilled  at   the   noble   motive  in    every  ac- 


THE    VERBA  LIST. 


I97 


tion." — John  Oliver   Hobbs.      Three  onlys,   and  all  mis- 
placed. 

Other.  This  word  is  very  often  improperly  omitted  in 
sentences  like  the  following-. 

"  Is  there  any  State  in  this  Union  that  has  contributed 
so  much  to  the  honor  and  welfare  of  this  country  as  Vir- 
ginia?" Virginia  being  a  State,  the  sentence  obviously 
should  be,  "  Is  there  any  other  State,"  etc. 

"  In  no  [other]  language  does  it  work  so  much  mischief 
as  in  our  English." 

"  He  said  that  the  American  vessels  presented  a  finer 
appearance  than  any  [other]  vessels  there." — N.  Y.  Herald. 

Ought — Should.  These  two  words,  though  they  both 
imply  obligation,  should  not  be  used  indiscriminately. 
Ought  is  the  stronger  term  ;  what  we  ought  to  do,  we  are 
morally  bound  to  do.  We  ought  to  be  truthful  and  honest, 
and  should  be  respectful  to  our  elders  and  kind  to  our  in- 
feriors. 

Over.  Very  often  used  in  the  sense  of  more  than,  which 
is  to  be  preferred. 

"It  is  over  [more  than]  a  mile  from  here  to  the 
river." 

Overalls.  Very  frequently  and  very  incorrectly  pro- 
nounced overhalls. 

Overflown.  Flown  is  the  past  participle  of  to  fly,  and 
flowed  of  to  floiv.  As,  therefore,  a  river  does  not  fly  over 
its  banks,  but  flows  over  them,  we  should  say  of  it  that  it 
has  overflowed,  and  not  that  it  has  overflown. 

Over  his  signature.  Properly,  under.  See  Signa- 
ture. 

Overly.  This  word  is  now  used  only  by  the  un- 
schooled. 

Owing.     See  Due. 


198 


THE    VERBALIST. 


Own.  This  word  is  sometimes  very  incorrectly  used 
in  the  sense  of  confess. 

"  Deaf  Lady  Dowager  owned  [confessed]  to  having 
arrived  at  sixty  years  [at  the  age  of  sixty]." 

"  I  own  [confess]  I  peeped  over  the  wall." 

"  But  my  point  of  view,  I  own  [confess],  was  not  that 
of  my  countrymen." 

Panacea.  This  word  means,  unaided,  a  cure-all  ;  a 
medicine  supposed  to  cure  all  diseases  ;  a  universal  remedy  ; 
a  catholicon.  When,  therefore,  we  talk  about  a  universal 
panacea  we  are  tautological. 

Pantaloons.  "  We  find  a  writer  in  the  Hour  speaking 
of  pantaloons,  and  we  beg  to  inform  the  editor  of  that  jour- 
nal that  no  such  thing  is  known  to  the  English  language. 
The  garment  in  question  is  properly  called  trousers.  Pan- 
taloons is  a  word  of  Italian  origin,  and  was  oiiginally  ap- 
plied to  the  peculiar  hose  worn  by  the  pantalone  or  clown 
in  a  pantomime.  At  any  rate,  it  is  not  a  word  of  good  re- 
pute in  the  English  language." — N.  Y.  Sun. 

Pants.  This  abbreviation  is  not  used  by  those  that  are 
careful  in  the  choice  of  words.  The  purist  does  not  use 
the  word  pantaloons  even,  but  trousers.  Pants  are  worn 
by  gents,  who  eat  lunches  and  open  wine,  and  trousers 
are  worn  by  gentlemen,  who  eat  luncheons  and  order 
wine. 

Paradox.  Often  misused  for  absurdity.  A  paradox 
is  a  seeming  absurdity  that  is  true  in  fact ;  hence,  to  say 
"  It  seems  a  paradox,"  is  equivalent  to  saying  "  It  seems 
a  seeming  absurdity  "  ;  and  to  say  "  It  is  a  paradox,"  is 
equivalent  to  saying  "  It  seems  an  absurdity." 

Here  are  two  sentences  in  which  the  word  is  correctly 
used : 

"  It  is  no  [not]  less  a  truth  than  a  paradox  [i.  e.,  than 


THE    VERBALIST. 


I99 


a  seeming  absurdity]  that  there  are  no  greater  fools  than 
atheistical  wits,  and  none  so  credulous  as  infidels." 

"  Paradoxical  as  it  may  be  [i.  e.,  absurd  as  it  may  seem], 
"specially  in  contrast  with  the  progress  of  England,  it  is 
strictly  true." 

Paradox  must  always  be  used  with  the  verb  to  be,  and 
never  with  to  seem. 

"  This  may  seem  a  paradox,  but  it  is  nevertheless  a 
fact." — J.  S.  Mill.  Correctly  :  This  may  be  a  paradox,  or, 
This  may  seem  an  absurdity. 

"  It  is  less  paradoxical  [absurd]  than  it  may  seem  to 
say,"  etc. 

"  The  doctrine  only  appears  [seems]  a  paradox  [an 
absurdity]  because  it  has  usually  been  so  expressed  as  ap- 
parently to  contradict  these  well-known  facts." 

Paraphernalia.  This  is  a  law  term.  In  Roman  law 
it  meant  the  goods  that  a  woman  brought  to  her  husband 
besides  her  dowry.  In  English  law  it  means  the  goods 
that  a  woman  is  allowed  to  have  after  the  death  of  her 
husband,  besides  her  dower,  consisting  of  her  apparel  and 
ornaments  suitable  to  her  rank.  When  used  in  speaking 
of  the  affairs  of  every-day  life  it  is  usually  misused. 

Parlor.  This  word,  in  the  sense  of  drawing-room,  ac- 
cording to  Dr.  Fitz-Edward  Hall,  except  in  the  United 
States  and  some  of  the  British  colonies,  is  obsolete. 

Partake.  This  is  a  very  fine  word  to  use  instead  of  to 
eat ;  just  the  word  for  young  women  that  hobble  on  French 
heels. 

Partially — Partly.  "  It  is  only /«r//a//>' done."  This 
use  of  the  adverb  partially  is  sanctioned  by  high  authority, 
but  that  does  not  make  it  correct.  A  thing  done  in  part 
is  partly,  not  partially,  done. 

"But   'Partially,  for  not  totally,  only  in  part,  was  in 


200  THE    VERBALIST. 

some  connections  good  English  to  Sir  Thomas  Brown  ; 
and  from  the  educated  sense  of  euphony  which  distin- 
guishes modern  ears  it  has  been  well-nigh  completely  re- 
suscitated. There  are  cases  in  which  partly,  if  substituted 
for  it,  would  affect  many  persons  of  nice  perceptions  much 
after  the  manner  of  a  wrong  note  in  music — e.  g.,  "  Shak- 
speare  did  perfectly  what  /Eschylus  did  partially "  ' 
(Ruskin)."— Dr.  Fitz-Edward  Hall. 

Participial  Nouns.     See  Verbal  Nouns. 

Participles.  When  the  present  participle  is  used  sub- 
stantively, in  sentences  like  the  following,  it  is  preceded 
by  the  definite  article  and  followed  by  the  preposition  of. 
The  omitting  of  the  preposition  is  a  common  error.  Thus, 
"  Or,  it  is  the  drawing  a  conclusion  that  was  before  either 
unknown  or  dark,"  should  be,  "  the  drawing  of  a  conclu- 
sion." "  Prompted  by  the  most  extreme  vanity,  he  per- 
sisted in  the  writing  bad  verses,"  should  be,  "in  writing 
bad  verses,"  or  "in  //^writing  of  bad  verses."  "There 
is  a  misuse  of  the  article  a  which  [that]  is  very  common. 
It  is  the  using  it  before  the  word  most." — Moon.  Most 
writers  would  say  "  the  using  of  it."  Mr.  Moon  argues  for 
his  construction — i.  e.,  for  the  construction  that  leaves  out 
the  of. 

Particles.  "  Nothing  but  study  of  the  best  writers  and 
practice  in  composition  will  enable  us  to  decide  what  are 
the  prepositions  and  conjunctions  that  ought  to  [should]  go 
with  certain  verbs.  The  following  examples  illustrate  some 
common  blunders  : 

"  '  It  was  characterized  with  eloquence  ' :  read  '  by.' 

"  '  A  testimonial  of  the  merits  of  his  grammar  ' :  read 
'to.' 

"  '  It  was  an  example  of  the  love  to  form  comparisons ' : 
read  '  of  forming.' 


THE    VERBALIST.  201 

" '  Repetition  is  always  to  be  preferred  before  obscurity  ' : 
read  '  to.' 

"'  He  made  an  effort  for  meeting  them '  :  read  '  to 
meet.' 

"  '  They  have  no  other  object  but  to  come  ' :  read  '  other 
object  than,'  or  omit  '  other.' 

"  Two  verbs  are  not  infrequently  followed  by  a  single 
preposition,  which  accords  with  one  only — e.  g.,  '  This  duty 
is  repeated  and  inculcated  upon  the  reader.'  '  Repeat  upon ' 
is  nonsense  ;  we  must  read  '  is  repeated  to  and  inculcated 
upon.'  " — Nichol's  English  Composition. 

We  often  see  for  used  with  the  substantive  sympathy  ; 
the  best  practice,  however,  uses  with  ;  thus,  "  Words  can 
not  express  the  deep  sympathy  I  feel  with  you." — Queen 
Victoria. 

Party.  This  is  a  very  good  word  in  its  place,  as  in 
legal  documents,  but  it  is  very  much  out  of  its  place  when 
used — as  it  often  is  by  the  unschooled — where  good  taste 
would  use  the  word  person.  Not,  the  party  that  I  saw, 
but  the  person.     Not,  I  know  a  party,  but  a  person. 

Passive.  "  Constant  attention  is  the  price  of  good  Eng- 
lish. There  is  one  fault  [error]  that  perpetually  [continu- 
ally] appears  in  spite  of  all  castigation.  '  William  Knack,' 
says  a  contemporary, '  was  given  a  benefit  at  the  Thalia  last 
evening.'  This  sort  of  phraseology  is  exceedingly  vicious. 
It  is  hard  to  understand  the  depravity  of  its  invention,  it 
seems  that  a  benefit  was  given  to  Mr.  Knack  ;  yet  the  in- 
fernal ingenuity  of  the  reporters  contrives  to  frame  a  sen- 
tence in  which  there  are  two  nominatives  and  only  one  sin- 
gular verb." — N.  Y.  Sun. 

True,  this  kind  of  word-placing  is  highly  objectionable  ; 
but  if  we  concede  that  the  sentence  says — though  bar- 
barously— what  it  was  intended  to  say,  we  have  only  to 
14 


202  THE    VERBALIST. 

consider  Knack  as  being  in  the  dative  (governed  uy  to  un- 
derstood) and  not  in  the  nominative  case  to  make  it  gram- 
matical. By  a  little  transposing  we  have,  "  A  benefit  was 
given  William  Knack  at  the  Thalia  Theater  last  evening." 
The  transposition  does  not  change  the  grammatical  rela- 
tion of  the  words.  The  sense  and  not  the  positions  of  the 
words  determines. 

If  the  sentence  were,  "He  was  given  a  benefit,"  its 
grammar  would  be  indefensible,  since  we  can  not  construe 
he  as  a  dative  (or  as  an  objective  after  a  preposition).  Here, 
he  is  the  subject  of  %vas  given,  and  benefit  tries,  but  tries  in 
vain,  to  be  the  object.  "Him  was  given  a  benefit"  would 
be  better,  because  we  could  govern  him  by  to  understood, 
calling  it  a  dative  or  an  objective,  as  we  pleased. 

Examples  of  this  objectionable  phraseology  are  fre- 
quently met  with.     Here  are  a  few  : 

"  He  was  given  the  control  of  the  third  military  dis- 
trict." 

"  He  was  given  a  life  interest  in  the  estate." 

"  I  was  given  one  of  those  copies." 

"  The  nations  should  have  been  given  warning." — Gov- 
ernor Budd. 

"  Among  the  questions  discussed  at  the  session  of  the 
University  of  the  State  of  New  York  this  was  one  : 

" '  Should  the  A.  M.  degree  be  abandoned,  or  given  a 
distinct  pedagogic  significance?' 

"What  can  be  done  when  the  chiefs  of  the  university 
show  such  dreadful  ignorance  of  the  English  language?" — 
N.  Y.  Sun. 

"  With  us  ministers,  we  are  so  constantly  given  occasion 
to  study  character,"  etc. 

"  For  every  scratch  I  have  been  given  he  has  two 
scars." 


THE    VERBALIST.  203 

"  He  was  convicted,  and  was  given  a  sentence  of  twenty- 
one  years." 

"  He  had  been  refused  her  hand." — X.  V.  World. 
"  While  in  prison  he  was  given  a  position  in   the  War- 
den's office,  and  was  granted  many  privileges.     On  account 
of  his  good  behavior  he  was  given  credit,  and  in  iSS3  had 
but  three  more  years  to  serve." 

Past.  Improperly  used,  in  such  sentences  as  the  fol- 
lowing, for  last. 

"  Hazeltine  has  spent  seven  hundred  dollars  within  the 
past  three  days." 

"  The  phantom  '  crow,'  which  has  been  so  assiduously 
bolted  during  the  past  few  days,  will  prove  a  veritable 
fowl." 

"  Within  the  past  year  there  have  been  many  changes  in 
St.  Louis." 

"  Reilly,  who  had  been  in  the  habit  of  handling  snakes 
for  the  past  twenty  years,  had  been  frequently  warned 
about  [against]  the  diamond  backs." 

"  Hillbender  is  usually  a  very  orderly  place,  but  we  have 
had  two  shooting  affrays  in  the  past  week." 

"  In  the  many  tariff  revisions  which  [that]  have  been 
necessary  for  the  past  twenty-three  years,  or  which  [that] 
may  hereafter  become  necessary,  the  Republican  party  has 
maintained,"  etc. — Blaine. 

Read  last  instead  of  past  in  every  one  of  these  sentences. 
Past  does  not  in  a  single  instance  express  what  the  writer 
intends  to  say. 

Patronize.  This  word  and  its  derivatives  would  be  much 
less  used  by  the  American  tradesman  than  they  are  if  he  were 
better  acquainted  with  their  true  meaning.  Then  he  would 
solicit  his  neighbor's  custom,  not  his  patronage.  A  man  can 
have  no  patrons  without  incurring  obligations — without  be- 


204  THE    VERBALIST. 

coming  a  prot/g/ ;  while  a  man  may  have  customers  innu- 
merable, and,  instead  of  placing  himself  under  obligations 
to  them,  he  may  place  them  under  obligations  to  him. 
Princes  are  the  patrons  of  those  tradesmen  that  they  allow 
to  call  themselves  their  purveyors;  as,  "John  Smith, 
Haberdasher  to  H.  R.  H.  the  Prince  of  Wales."  Here 
the  Prince  patronizes  John  Smith. 

Pell-mell.  This  adverb  means  mixed  or  mingled  to- 
gether ;  as,  "  Men,  horses,  chaiiots,  crowded  pell-mell."  It 
can  not  properly  be  applied  to  an  individual.  To  say,  for 
example,  "  He  rushed  pell-mell  down  the  stairs,"  is  as  in- 
correct as  it  would  be  to  say,  "  He  rushed  down  the  stairs 
mixed  together." 

"  A  fourteen-year-old  cowboy  on  a  pony  was  driving  a 
steer  in  the  alley  near  the  Journal  office  one  day  last  week, 
when  the  steer  made  for  the  back  door  of  Uecker's  saloon, 
went  pell-mell  through  the  back  door  and  saloon  and  out 
of  [at]  the  front  door  on  the  dead  run,  followed  by  the 
daring  boy  on  the  pony." 

People.  This  word  is  much  used  when  some  one  of 
the  words  community,  commonwealth,  nation,  public,  or 
country  would  seem  better  to  express  the  thought  in- 
tended. People,  as  the  word  is  often  used,  not  infrequently 
conveys  the  impression  that  a  class  is  meant — a  class  that 
includes  all,  perhaps,  but  the  very  rich  and  the  higher 
officials.  Now  as  there  are,  strictly,  no  classes  in  the  United 
States,  as  all  are  equal  in  the  eyes  of  cur  institutions,  as 
every  citizen  is  the  peer  of  every  other  citizen,  save  in  eligi- 
bility to  the  presidency,  the  impression  conveyed  by  the  word 
people  is  often  erroneous.  For  example,  instead  of,  "  The 
Senate  must  take  action  and  obey  the  will  of  the  people^ 
would  it  not  better  express  what  is  intended  were  we  to 
say,  "  the  will  of  the  nation,  or  of  the  country"  ? 


THE    VERBALIST.  205 

"  Why  should  silver  be  forced  upon  [on]  the  people 
[public]  as  a  substitute  for  greenbacks  ?  "  etc. 

"  Tell  The  Sun  and  the  people  [public]  that  we  will 
[shall?]  enforce  the  laws." 

Per.  This  Latin  preposition  is  a  good  deal  used  in 
such  phrases  as  per  day,  per  man,  per  pound,  per  ton,  and 
so  on.  In  all  such  cases  it  is  better  to  use  plain  English, 
and  say,  a  day,  a  man,  a  pound,  a  ton,  etc.  Per  is  correct 
before  Latin  nouns  only  ;  as,  per  annum,  per  diem,  per 
cent.,  etc. 

Perform.  "  She  performs  on  the  piano  beautifully." 
In  how  much  better  taste  it  is  to  say  simply,  "  She  plays 
the  piano  well,"  or,  more  superlatively,  "  exceedingly  well," 
or  "admirably."  If  we  talk  about  performing  on  musical 
instruments,  to  be  consistent,  we  should  call  those  that/*r- 
form,  piano-performers,  cornet-performers,  violin-perform- 
ers, and  so  on. 

Permit — Allow.  These  words  are  very  nearly  allied 
in  meaning,  but  they  are  not,  as  most  persons  seem  to 
think,  absolutely  interchangeable.  To  permit  is  formally 
to  consent  ;  to  allow  is  tacitly  to  consent.  Permit  is  com- 
paratively positive  and  signifies  to  grant  leave  ;  allow  is 
comparatively  negative  or  passive  and  signifies  merely  not 
to  forbid. 

"  It  is  shameful  that  we  should  allow  ourselves  to  re- 
main in  ignorance." 

"  If  you  will  permit  me  to  do  so,  I  will  pay  you  a  visit 
to-morrow." 

"  I  wished  to  assist  him,  but  he  would  not  permit  it." 

Perpetually.  This  word  is  sometimes  misused  for 
continually.  Dr.  William  Mathews,  in  his  Words,  their 
Use  and  Abuse,  says  :  "  The  Irish  are  perpetually  using 
shall  for  will."    Perpetual  means  never  ceasing,  continuing 


2o6  THE    VERBALIST. 

without  intermission,  uninterrupted  ;  while  continual  means 
that  that  is  constantly  renewed  and  recurring  with  perhaps 
frequent  stops  and  interruptions.  As  the  Irish  do  some- 
thing besides  misuse  shall,  the  doctor  should  have  said  that 
they  continually  use  shall  for  will.  I  might  perhaps  ven- 
ture to  intimate  that  perpetually  is  likewise  misused  in  the 
following  sentence,  which  I  copy  from  the  London  Queen, 
if  I  were  not  conscious  that  the  monster  that  can  write  and 
print  such  a  sentence  would  not  hesitate  to  cable  a  thun- 
derbolt at  an  offender  on  the  slightest  provocation.  Judge, 
if  my  fears  are  groundless  :  "  But  some  few  people  con- 
tract the  ugly  habit  of  making  use  of  these  expressions 
unconsciously  and  continuously,  perpetually  interlarding 
their  conversation  with  them." 

"  She  [Pisa]  was  perpetually  [continually]  at  war  by  sea 
and  land." — Howells. 

"Somebody  'rustled'  it,  and  his  perpetual  (continual) 
inquiries  after  it  resulted,"  etc. — Theodore  Roosevelt. 

"The  amateur  singer  is  perpetually  [continually]  intro- 
ducing consecutive  fifths  and  octaves  into  his  music,  per- 
petually [continually]  bringing  wrong  color  notes  into  his 
painting." — Author  of  The  Green  Carnation. 

Person.     See  Party  ;  also  Individual. 

Personalty.  This  word  does  not,  as  some  persons 
think,  mean  the  articles  worn  on  one's  person.  It  is  prop- 
erly a  law  term,  and  means  personal  property, 

"  There  is  but  one  case  on  record  of  a  peer  of  England 
leaving  over  $7,500,000 personalty'' 

An  English  lady,  desiring  to  leave  a  servant  her  clothing 
and  jewels,  described  them  in  her  will  as  her  personalty, 
thereby,  contrary  to  her  intention,  including  ten  thousand 
pounds  in  her  bequest. 

Personification.     That  rhetorical  figure  that  attributes 


THE    VERBALIST. 


ioy 


sex,  life,  or  action  to  inanimate  objects,  or  ascribes  to  ob- 
jects and  brutes  the  acts  and  qualities  of  rational  beings,  is 
called  personification  or  prosopopoeia. 

"  The  mountains  sing  together,  the  hills  rejoice  and  clap 
their  hands."  "  The  worm,  aware  of  his  intent,  harangued 
him  thus." 

"  See,  Winter  comes  to  rule  the  varied  year, 

Sullen  and  sad  with  all  his  rising  train." — Thomson. 
"So  saying,  her  rash  hand,  in  evil  hour, 
Forth  reaching  to  the  fruit,  she  plucked,  she  ate ! 
Earth  felt  the  wound ;  and  Nature  from  her  seat, 
Sighing  through  all  her  works,  gave  signs  of  woe, 
That  all  was  lost." — Milton. 
"  War  and  Love  are  strange  compeers. 
War  sheds  blood,  and  Love  sheds  tears ; 
War  has  swords,  and  Love  has  darts  ; 
War  breaks  heads,  and  Love  breaks  hearts." 
"  Levity  is  often  less  foolish  and  Gravity  less  wise  than 
each  of  them  appears." 

"  The  English  language,  by  reserving  the  distinction  of 
gender  for  living  beings  that  have  sex,  gives  especial  scope 
for  personification.  The  highest  form  of  personification 
should  be  used  seldom,  and  only  when  justified  by  the 
presence  of  strong  feeling." — Bain. 

"  Knowledge  and  Wisdom,  far  from  being  one, 
Have  ofttimes  no  connection.     Knowledge  dwells 
In  heads  replete  with  thoughts  of  other  men  ; 
Wisdom  in  minds  attentive  to  their  own. 
Knowledge  is  proud  that  he  has  learned  so  much  ; 
Wisdom  is  humble  that  he  knows  no  more." — Cowper. 
Perspicuity.     This  word  is  not  infrequently  misused 
for  perspicacity,  though  they  are  quite  unlike  in  meaning. 
A  near  synonym  of  perspicuity  is  clearness.     Both  words 


2o8  THE    VERBALIST. 

denote  qualities  requisite  to  render  a  discourse  intelligible. 
Clearness  of  intellect  is  a  natural  gift  ;  perspicuity  is  largely 
an  acquired  art. 

"  Whenever  we  think  clearly  we  express  ourselves  with 
perspicuity." 

Perspicacity  is  the  quality  of  being  quick-sighted,  dis- 
cerning, acute,  keen,  which  is  the  meaning  intended  in  the 
following  sentences : 

"  He  had  a  high  estimation  of  the  intellectual  and  moral 
power  and  perspicuity  [perspicacity]  of  the  French  mind." 

"  The  great  power  of  the  Church,  and  the  general  igno- 
rance, want  of  perspicuity  [perspicacity],  and  submissiveness 
of  the  laity  enabled  it  to  fill  up  the  breach  in  some  shape 
or  other,  more  or  less  vague." 

Persuade.  Sometimes  misused  for  advise,  thus  :  "  This 
is  one  reason  why  I  never  persuade  young  ladies  to  publish." 

Peruse.  Often  used  when  the  more  familiar  word  read 
would  be  the  better  word  to  use. 

"  Suppose  he  were  an  enemy  and  hateful  to  me,  should 
I  still  find  pleasure  in  the  perusal  of  his  verses  ?  "  Better, 
"  in  reading  his  verses." 

Pitcher.  What  in  America  is  called  a  pitcher,  in  Great 
Britain  is  called  a  jug.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  no  one  will 
consider  this  information  a  sufficient  reason  for  changing 
his  practice,  as  pitcher  is  good  old  English.  And  then, 
we  need  the  word  jug  to  designate  another  vessel. 

Place.  Improperly  used  for  where :  "  Let's  go  some 
place  [where]."     "  I  want  to  go  some  place  [where]." 

Phenomenon.     Plural,  phenomena. 

Plead.  The  imperfect  tense  and  the  perfect  participle 
of  the  verb  to  plead  are  both  pleaded,  and  not  plead.  "  He 
pleaded  not  guilty."  "  You  should  have  pleaded  your  cause 
with  more  fervor." 


THE    VERBALIST. 


log 


Plenty.  In  Worcester's  Dictionary  we  find  the  follow- 
ing note :  "  Plenty  is  much  used  colloquially  as  an  adjec- 
tive, in  the  sense  of  plentiful,  both  in  this  country  and  in 
England  ;  and  this  use  is  supported  by  respectable  author- 
ities, though  it  is  condemned  by  various  critics.  Johnson 
says  :  '  It  is  used  barbarously,  I  think,  for  plentiful' ;  and 
Dr.  Campbell,  in  his  Philosophy  of  Rhetoric,  says  :  '  Plenty 
for  plentiful  appears  to  me  so  gross  a  vulgarism  that  I 
should  not  have  thought  it  worthy  of  a  place  here  if  I  had 
not  sometimes  found  it  in  works  of  considerable  merit.' " 
We  should  say,  then,  that  money  is  plentiful,  and  not  that 
it  is  plenty. 

"  The  days  when  deer  and  wolves  were  plenty  [plentiful] 
in  Illinois." — N.  Y.  Sun. 

Pleonasm.  Redundancy,  or  pleona.-m,  is  the  use  of  more 
words  than  are  necessary  to  express  the  thought  clearly. 
"  They  returned  baek  again  to  the  same  city  from  whence 
they  came  forth  "  :  the  five  words  in  italics  are  redundant, 
or  pleonastic.  "  The  different  departments  of  science  and 
of  art  mutually  reflect  light  on  each  other  [one  another]  "  : 
either  of  the  expressions  in  italics  embodies  the  whole  idea. 
"  The  universal  opinion  of  all  men  "  is  a  pleonastic  ex- 
pression often  heard.  "I  wrote  you  a  letter  yesterday " : 
here  a  letter  is  redundant. 

Redundancy  is  sometimes  permissible,  to  be  surer  of  con- 
veying the  meaning,  for  emphasis,  and  in  the  language  of 
poetic  embellishment. 

Polite.  This  word  is  much  used  by  persons  of  doubt- 
ful culture,  where  those  of  the  better  sort  use  the  word 
hind.  We  accept  kind,  not  polite,  invitations  ;  and  when 
any  one  has  been  obliging,  we  tell  him  that  he  has  been 
kind;  and  when  an  interviewing  reporter  tells  us  of  his 
having  met  with  a  polite  reception,  we  may  be  sure  that 


2io  THE    VERBALIST. 

the  person  by  whom  he  has  been  received  deserves  well  for 
his  considerate  kindness. 

"  I  thank  you  and  Mrs.  Tope  for  my  kind  reception." — 
Atterbury. 

Portion.  This  word  is  often  incorrectly  used  for  fart. 
A  portion  is  properly  a  part  assigned,  allotted,  set  aside  for 
a  special  purpose  ;  a  share,  a  division.  The  verb  to  portion 
means,  to  divide,  to  parcel,  to  endow.  We  ask,  therefore, 
"  In  what  part  [not  in  what  portion~\  of  the  country,  state, 
county,  town,  or  street  do  you  live  ?  " — or,  if  we  prefer 
grandiloquence  to  correctness,  reside.  In  the  sentence, 
"  A  large  portion  of  the  land  is  unfilled, "  the  right  word 
would  be  either  part  or  proportion,  according  to  the  inten- 
tion of  the  writer. 

Posted.  A  word  very  much  and  very  inelegantly 
used  for  informed.  Such  expressions  as,  "I  will  post 
you,"  "I  must  post  myself  up,"  "If  I  had  been  better 
posted"  and  the  like,  are,  at  the  best,  but  one  remove  from 
slang. 

"Posted,  or  well  posted,  in  the  sense  of  well  informed  or 
instructed,  learned,  or  well  read,  is  slangy  and  shoppy — 
smelling  of  daybook  and  ledger." — Fitzgerald. 

Precisely  similar.  "  It  was  precisely  similar  to  the 
accident  that  befell  the  same  vessel  last  February." — N.  Y. 
Sun. 

This  is  a  locution  difficult  to  defend.  Precisely  similar 
equals  precisely  resemblant.  The  writer  probably  meant 
very  similar,  or  similar  in  every  respect. 

Predicate.  Often  misused  in  the  sense  of  predict  or 
foretell ;  also  in  the  sense  of  to  base  or  to  found.  Predi- 
cate means  to  expect  or  to  assume  one  thing  to  be  the  prod- 
uct or  the  outcome  of  another.  Contentment  is  predicated 
of  virtue.    Good  health  is  predicated  of  a  good  constitution. 


THE    VERBALIST.  211 

Good  manners  and  good  morals  are  predicated  of  good  train- 
ing and  good  examples. 

Here  are  some  examples  of  the  misuse  of  the  word  : 

"  It  needed  no  ghost  from  the  grave  or  rapping  spirit 
from  the  invisible  world  to  predicate  [foretell]  even  then  the 
success  of  young  Disraeli  in  public  life." 

•'  When  cholera  is  scourging  the  land,  you  may  predi- 
cate [predict  or  foretell]  as  well  as  trace  its  progress." 

"  A  man  of  whom  it  might  be  predicated  [predicted]  that 
his  political  power  would  [will]  end  with  his  political  life." 

"  It  is  impossible  to  predicate  [foretell]  what  he  will  or 
will  not  do." 

"  Being  predicated  [based  or  founded]  on  no  previous 
proceedings  of  the  Legislature." 

"  It  ought  surely  to  be  predicated  [based  or  founded]  on 
a  full  and  impartial  consideration  of  the  whole  subject." 

Predict.     Sometimes  misused  for  predicate,  thus  : 

"  There  is  no  organ  of  which  the  concomitant  mental 
feeling  may  be  predicted  [predicated]  with  greater  conn- 

ence. 

Dr.  Hodgson,  in  his  Errors  in  the  Use  of  English,  cites 
the  following  sentence  as  an  example  of  the  correct  use  of 
predict : 

"  Whether  Mr.  Campbell  has  so  far  surmounted  all  ob- 
stacles as  to  make  these  noble  poems  generally  attractive 
to  English  readers,  it  might  be  rash  to  predict." 

Predict  must  always  be  used  in  reference  to  what  is  to 
be,  never  to  what  has  been.  We  can  not  predict  backward. 
Change  has  surmounted  to  will  surmount,  and  the  use  of 
predict  will  be  justified  ;  but  with  the  tense  unchanged, 
predict  must  give  place  to  assert,  or  to  some  other  word  of 
kindred  meaning. 

Privilege.     Often  misused  for  right.     The  true  mean- 


212  THE    VERBALIST. 

ing  of  privilege  is  not  very  generally  understood.  Privi- 
leges, unlike  rights,  are  never  general,  never  common  ;  they 
are  always  special,  always  peculiar.  A  "  privileged  char- 
acter" is  one  to  whom  special  liberties  are  granted.  The 
young  lady  used  the  word  properly  when  she  said  to  the 
middle-aged  man  that  attempted  to  kiss  her,  "  You  are 
pretty  old,  sir,  but  not  old  enough  to  be  allowed  any  privi- 
leges." 

The  word  is  misused  in  the  following  sentences : 

"  Fox  endeavored  to  secure  the  privileges  [rights]  and 
happiness  of  the  people  of  Asia." 

"  If  they  could  not  claim  this  common  privilege  [right], 
what  rights  were  left  which  [that]  might  not  be  withheld  ? " 

"  In  the  eighteenth  century  after  Christ,  England  stood 
forth  alone  as  an  example  to  Europe  of  the  privileges 
[rights]  that  might  be  enjoyed  by  subjects  under  a  consti- 
tutional monarchy.  How  these  privileges  [rights]  were 
acquired  is  matter  of  history." 

"  A  whole  people  were  called  upon  to  exercise  such  a 
privilege  [right]  as  that  of  universal  suffrage." 

Prejudice — Prepossess.  Both  these  words  mean  to 
incline  in  one  direction  or  the  other  for  some  reason  not 
founded  in  justice  ;  but  by  common  consent  prejudiee  has 
come  to  be  used  in  an  unfavorable  sense,  and  prepossess 
in  a  favorable  sense.  Thus  we  say,  "  He  is  prejudiced 
against  him,"  and  "He  is  prepossessed  in  his  favor."  We 
sometimes  hear  the  expression,  "  He  is  prejudiced  in  his 
favor,"  but  this  can  not  be  accounted  a  good  use  of  the 
word. 

Prepositions.  The  errors  made  in  the  use  of  the  prep- 
osition are  very  numerous. 

"  The  indolent  child  is  one  who  [that]  has  a  strong 
aversion  from   action   of    any   sort." — Graham's    English 


THE    VERBALIST.  21 3 

Synonymes,  p.  236.  The  prevailing  and  best  modern  usage 
is  in  favor  of  to  instead  of  from  after  averse  and  aversion, 
and  before  the  object.  The  words  themselves  include  the 
idea  of  from. 

"Clearness  .  .  .  enables  the  reader  to  see  thoughts 
without  noticing  the  language  with  which  they  are  clothed." 
— Townsend's  Art  of  Speech.  We  clothe  thoughts  in  lan- 
guage. 

"  Shakespeare  .  .  .  and  the  Bible  are  .  .  .  models  for 
the  English-speaking  tongue." — Ibid.  If  this  means  models 
of  English,  then  it  should  be  of;  but  if  it  means  models 
for  English  organs  of  speech  to  practice  on,  then  it  should 
he  for  ;  or  if  it  means  models  to  model  English  tongues 
after,  then  also  it  should  be  for, 

"  If  the  resemblance  is  too  faint,  the  mind  is  fatigued 
■while  attempting  to  trace  the  analogies."  "Aristotle  is  in 
error  while  thus  describing  governments." — Ibid.  Here 
we  have  two  examples,  not  of  the  misuse  of  the  preposition, 
but  of  the  erroneous  use  of  the  adverb  while  instead  of  the 
preposition  in. 

"  For  my  part  I  can  not  think  that  Shelley's  poetry,  ex- 
cept by  snatches  and  fragments,  has  the  value  of  the  good 
work  of  Wordsworth  or  Byron."— Matthew  Arnold.  Should 
be,  "except  in  snatches." 

"  Taxes  with  us  are  collected  nearly  [almost]  solely 
from  real  and  personal  estate." — Appletons'  Journal.  Taxes 
are  levied  on  estates  and  collected  from  the  owners. 

"  If  I  am  not  commended  /or  the  beauty  of  my  works, 
I  may  hope  to  be  pardoned  for  their  brevity."  Cobbett 
comments  on  this  sentence  as  follows  :  "  We  may  com- 
mend him  for  the  beauty  of  his  works,  and  we  may  pardon 
him  for  their  brevity,  if  we  deem  the  brevity  a  fault;  but 
this  is  not  what  he  means.     He  means  that,  at  any  rate,  he 


214  THE    VERBALIST. 

shall  have  the  merit  of  brevity.  '  If  I  am  not  commended 
for  the  beauty  of  my  works,  I  may  hope  to  be  pardoned  on 
account  of  their  brevity.'  This  is  what  the  doctor  meant ; 
but  this  would  have  marred  a  little  the  antithesis :  it  would 
have  unsettled  a  little  of  the  balance  of  that  seesaw  in 
which  Dr.  Johnson  so  much  delighted,  and  which,  falling 
into  the  hands  of  novel-writers  and  of  members  of  Parlia- 
ment, has,  by  moving  unencumbered  with  any  of  the  doc- 
tor's reason  or  sense,  lulled  so  many  thousands  asleep  ! 
Dr.  Johnson  created  a  race  of  writers  and  speakers.  '  Mr. 
Speaker,  that  the  state  of  the  nation  is  very  critical,  all  men 
will  allow  ;  but  that  it  is  wholly  desperate,  few  will  be- 
lieve.' When  you  hear  or  see  a  sentence  like  this,  be  sure 
that  the  person  who  speaks  or  writes  it  has  been  reading 
Dr.  Johnson,  or  some  of  his  imitators.  But,  observe,  these 
imitators  go  no  further  than  the  frame  of  the  sentences. 
They,  in  general,  take  care  not  to  imitate  the  doctor  in 
knowledge  and  reasoning." 

The  rhetoricians  would  have  us  avoid  such  forms  of  ex- 
pression  as,  "  The  boy  went  to  and  asked  the  advice  of  his 
teacher "  ;  "I  called  on  and  had  a  conversation  with  my 
brother." 

Very  often  the  preposition  is  not  repeated  in  a  sentence 
when  it  should  be.  We  say  properly,  "  lie  comes  from 
Ohio  ox  from  Indiana"  ;  or,  "  He  comes  from  either  Ohio 
or  Indiana." 

"  Some  authorities  object  to  the  use  of  a  preposition  as 
the  final  word  of  a  sentence,  but  such  usage  is  in  accord 
with  the  genius  of  all  the  Teutonic  languages." — Standard 
Dictionary. 

Prepossess.     See  Prejudice. 

Present — Introduce.  Few  errors  are  more  common, 
especially  among  those  that  are  always  straining  to  be  fine. 


THE    VERBALIST.  21 5 

than  that  of  using  present,  in  the  social  world,  instead  of 
introduce.  Present  means  to  place  in  the  presence  of  a 
superior  ;  introduce,  to  bring  to  be  acquainted.  A  person 
is  presented  at  court,  and  on  an  official  occasion  to  our 
President  ;  but  persons  that  are  unknown  to  each  other  are 
introduced  by  a  common  acquaintance.  And  in  these  in- 
troductions it  is  the  younger  that  is  introduced  to  the  older  ; 
the  lower  to  the  higher  in  place  or  social  position  ;  the  gen- 
tleman to  the  lady.  A  lady  should  say,  as  a  rule,  that  Mr. 
Blank  was  introduced  to  her,  not  that  she  was  introduced 
to  Mr.  Blank. 

Presumptive.  This  word  is  sometimes  misused  by  the 
careless  for  presumptuous. 

Preventive.  A  useless  and  unwarranted  syllable  is 
sometimes  added  to  this  word,  making  preventative. 

Previous.  This  adjective,  in  common  with  subsequent, 
independent,  relative,  antecedent,  and  possibly  others,  is 
often  erroneously  used  as  an  adverb. 

"  Previous  [previously]  to  the  races  at  Monmouth  Fark 
yesterday,"  etc. — N.  Y.  Sun. 

"  The  coaling  steamer,  Loch  Garry,  went  into  dock 
yesterday  for  inspection  previous  [previously]  to  being  sent 
to  her  owners." 

''  The  new  police  board  is  hard  at  work  laying  the 
foundation  for  reform  quite  independent  [independently]  of 
Albany." — Evening  Sun. 

"  Should  has  also  certain  meanings  independent  [inde- 
pendently] of  its  relations  as,"  etc. — Standard  Dictionary. 

"  Independently  of  this  reason,  there  was  another  about 
which,"  etc.— M.  W.  H.  in  N.  Y.  Sun. 

"  There  is  no  tradition  of  the  Earls  of  Derby  making 
the  castle  their  residence  subsequent  [subsequently]  to  the 
death  of  the  Countess." 


2i6  THE    VERBALIST. 

It  is  seldom  really  necessary  to  use  any  one  of  these  ad- 
verbs ;  but  if  they  are  used,  they  should  not  be  used  in  the 
adjective  form. 

Procure.  This  is  a  word  much  used  by  people  that 
strive  to  be  fine.  "  Where  did  you  get  it  ?  "  with  them  is, 
"  Where  did  you  procure  it  ?  " 

Profanity.  The  extent  to  which  some  men  habitually 
interlard  their  talk  with  oaths  is  disgusting  even  to  many 
who,  on  occasion,  do  not  themselves  hesitate  to  give  ex- 
pression to  their  feelings  in  oaths  portly  and  unctuous. 
If  these  fellows  could  be  made  to  know  how  offensive  to 
decency  they  make  themselves,  they  would,  perhaps,  be 
less  profane. 

Promise.  This  word  is  sometimes  very  improperly 
used  for  assure  ;  thus,  "  I  promise  you  I  was  very  much 
astonished." 

"  I  shall  get  into  Parliament  this  time,  I  promise  [assure] 
you." 

Promote.  Should  not  be  used  when  the  thing  advanced 
is  evil.  "  He  argues  that  pernicious  reading  promotes  crime 
and  should  be  excluded  from  libraries." 

Pronouns  of  the  First  Person.  "  The  ordinary  uses 
of '  I '  and  '  we,'  as  the  singular  and  plural  pronouns  of  the 
first  person,  would  appear  to  be  above  all  ambiguity,  un- 
certainty, or  dispute.  Yet  when  we  consider  the  force  of 
the  plural  '  we,'  we  are  met  with  a  contradiction  ;  for,  as 
a  rule,  only  one  person  can  speak  at  the  same  time  to  the 
same  audience.  It  is  only  by  some  exceptional  arrange- 
ment, or  some  latitude  or  license  of  expression,  that  several 
persons  can  be  conjoint  speakers.  For  example,  a  plurality 
may  sing  together  in  chorus,  and  may  join  in  the  responses 
at  church,  or  in  the  simultaneous  repetition  of  the  Lord's 
Prayer  or  the  Creed.     Again,  one  person  may  be  the  au- 


THE    VERBALIST.  2\J 

thorized  spokesman  in  delivering  a  judgment  or  opinion 
held  by  a  number  of  persons  in  common.  Finally,  in  writ- 
ten compositions,  the  '  we '  is  not  unsuitable,  because  a 
plurality  of  persons  may  append  their  names  to  a  docu- 
ment. 

"  A  speaker  using  '  we '  may  speak  for  himself  and  one 
or  more  others  ;  commonly  he  stands  forward  as  the  repre- 
sentative of  a  class,  more  or  less  comprehensive.  'As  soon 
as  my  companion  and  I  had  entered  the  field,  we  saw  a 
man  coming  toward  us' ;  '  we  like  our  new  curate  '  ;  ' you 
do  us  poets  the  greatest  injustice  '  ;  '  we  must  see  to  the 
efficiency  of  our  forces.'  The  widest  use  of  the  pronoun 
will  be  mentioned  presently. 

"  '  We '  is  used  for  '  I '  in  the  decrees  of  persons  in  au- 
thority ;  as  when  King  Lear  says  : 

'  Know  that  we  have  divided 
In  three  our  kingdom.' 
By  the  fiction  of  plurality  a  veil  of  modesty  is  thrown  over 
the  assumption  of  vast  superiority  over  human  beings  gener- 
ally. Or,  '  we '  may  be  regarded  as  an  official  form  whereby 
the  speaker  personally  is  magnified  or  enabled  to  rise  to  the 
dignity  of  the  occasion. 

"  The  editorial  *  we '  is  to  be  understood  on  the  same 
principle.  An  author  using  '  we  '  appears  as  if  he  were  not 
alone,  but  sharing  with  other  persons  the  responsibility  of 
his  views. 

"  This  representative  position  is  at  its  utmost  stretch  in 
the  practice  of  using  '  we '  for  human  beings  generally  ;  as 
in  discoursing  on  the  laws  of  human  nature.  The  preacher, 
the  novelist,  or  the  philosopher,  in  dwelling  upon  the  pe- 
culiarity of  our  common  constitution,  being  himself  an  ex- 
ample of  what  he  is  speaking  of,  associates  the  rest  of  man- 
kind with  him,  and  speaks  collectively  by  means  of  'we.' 
15 


2i8  THE    VERBALIST. 

'  We  are  weak  and  fallible  ' ;  '  we  are  of  yesterday ' ;  '  we 
are  doomed  to  dissolution.'  '  Here  have  we  no  continuing 
city,  but  we  seek  one  to  come.' 

"  It  is  not  unfrequent  to  have  in  one  sentence,  or  in 
close  proximity,  both  the  editorial  and  the  representative 
meaning,  the  effect  being  ambiguity  and  confusion.  '  Let 
us  [the  author]  now  consider  why  we  [humanity  generally] 
overrate  distant  good.'  In  such  a  case  the  author  should 
fall  back  upon  the  singular  for  himself,  '  /  will  now  con- 
sider— .'  '  IVe  [speaker]  think  we  [himself  and  hearers 
together]  should  come  to  the  conclusion.'  Say  either  '  / 
think,'  or  l  you  would.' 

"  The  following  extract  from  Butler  exemplifies  a  similar 
confusion  :  '  Suppose  we  [representative]  are  capable  of  hap- 
piness and  of  misery  in  degrees  equally  intense  and  extreme, 
yet  we  [representative]  are  capable  of  the  latter  for  a  much 
longer  time,  beyond  all  comparison.  We  [change  of  sub- 
ject to  a  limited  class]  see  men  in  the  tortures  of  pain — . 
Such  is  our  [back  to  representative]  make  that  anything 
may  become  the  instrument  of  pain  and  sorrow  to  its.' 
The  '  we  '  at  the  commencement  of  the  second  sentence — 
'  We  see  men  in  the  tortures '  could  be  advantageously 
changed  to  'you,'  or  the  passive  construction  could  be 
substituted  ;  the  remaining  we's  would  then  be  consistently 
representative. 

"  From  the  greater  emphasis  of  singularity,  energetic 
speakers  and  writers  sometimes  use  '  I '  as  representative 
of  mankind  at  large.  Thus  :  '  The  current  impressions 
received  through  the  senses  are  not  voluntary  in  origin. 
What  /  see  in  walking  is  seen  Decause  /  have  an  organ  of 
vision.'  The  question  of  general  moral  obligation  is  forci- 
bly stated  by  Paley  in  the  individual  form,  '  Why  am  / 
obliged  to  keep  my  word  ?'     It  is  sometimes  well  to  con- 


THE    VERBALIST. 


2IQ 


fine  the  attention  of  the  hearer  or  reader  to  his  own  rela- 
tion to  the  matter  under  consideration,  more  especially 
in  difficult  or  non-popular  argument  or  exposition.  The 
speaker,  by  using  '  I,'  does  the  action  himself,  or  makes 
himself  the  example,  the  hearer  being  expected  to  put  him- 
self in  the  same  position." — Bain's  Composition  Grammar. 

Pronouns  of  the  Second  Person.  "  Anomalous  usages 
have  sprung  up  in  connection  with  these  pronouns.  The 
plural  form  has  almost  wholly  superseded  the  singular — a 
usage  more  than  five  centuries  old.* 

"  The  motive  is  courtesy.  The  singling  out  of  one  per- 
son for  address  is  supposed  to  be  a  liberty  or  an  excess  of 
familiarity  ;  and  the  effect  is  softened  or  diluted  by  the 
fiction  of  taking  in  others.  If  our  address  is  uncompli- 
mentary, the  sting  is  lessened  by  the  plural  form  ;  and  if 
the  reverse,  the  shock  to  modesty  is  not  so  great.  This  is 
a  refinement  that  was  unknown  to  the  ancient  languages. 
The  orators  of  Greece  delighted  in  the  strong,  pointed, 
personal  appeal  implied  in  the  singular  '  thou.'  In  modern 
German,  '  thou '  (Du)  is  the  address  of  familiarity  and  in- 
timacy ;  while  the  ordinary  pronoun  is  the  curiously  in- 
direct 'they'  (Sie).  On  solemn  occasions  we  may  revert 
to  '  thou.'  Cato,  in  his  meditative  soliloquy  on  reading 
Plato's  views  on  the  immortality  of  the  soul,  before  killing 
himself,  says :  '  Plato,  thou  reasonest  well.'  So  in  the 
Commandments,  '  thou '  addresses  to  each  individual  an 
unavoidable  appeal :  '  Thou  shalt  not .'  But  our  ordi- 
nary means  of  making  the  personal  appeal  is,  '  You,  sir,' 

'  You,  mac/am,' '  My  Lord,  you ,'  etc.  ;  we  reserve  '  thou  ' 

for  the  special  case  of  addressing  the  Deity.  The  applica- 
tion of  the  motive  of  courtesy  is  here  reversed  ;  it  would  be 

*  "  The  use  of  the  plural  for  the  singular  was  established  as  early  as 
the  beginning  of  the  fourteenth  rentury." — Morris,  p.  11S,  §  153. 


220  THE    VERBALIST. 

irreverent  to  merge  this  vast  personality  in  a  promiscuous 
assemblage. 

"  '  You '  is  not  unfrequently  employed,  like  '  we,'  as  a 
representative  pronoun.  The  acdon  is  represented  with 
great  vividness,  when  the  person  or  persons  addressed  may 
be  put  forward  as  the  performers :  '  There  is  such  an  echo 
among  the  old  ruins  and  vaults,  that  if  you  stamp  a  little 
louder  than  ordinary  [ordinarily]  you  hear  the  sound  repeat- 
ed';  '  Some  practice  is  required  to  see  these  animals  in  the 
thick  forest,  even  when  you  hear  them  close  by  you.' 

"  There  should  not  be  a  mixture  of  '  thou  '  and  '  you  ' 
in  the  same  passage.  Thus,  Thackeray  (Adventures  of 
Philip) :  '  So,  as  thy  sun  rises,  friend,  over  the  humble 
house-tops  round  about  your  home,  shall  you  wake  many 
and  many  a  day  to  duty  and  labor.'  So,  Cooper  (Water- 
Witch) :  'Thou  hast  both  master  and  mistress?  You  have 
told  us  of  the  latter,  but  we  would  know  something  of  the 
former.  Who  is  thy  master?'  Shakespeare,  Scott,  and 
others  might  also  be  quoted. 

"  '  Ye '  and  '  you  '  were  at  one  time  strictly  distinguished 
as  different  cases  ;  '  ye '  was  nominative,  '  you  '  objective 
(dative  or  accusative).  But  the  Elizabethan  dramatists 
confounded  the  forms  irredeemably  ;  and  '  you  '  has  grad- 
ally  ousted  '  ye '  from  ordinary  use.  '  Ye  '  is  restricted  to 
the  expression  of  strong  feeling,  and  in  this  employment 
occurs  chiefly  in  the  poets." — Bain's  Composition  Grammar. 

Proof.  This  word  is  much  and  very  improperly  used 
for  evidence,  which  is  only  the  medium  of  proof,  proof 
being  the  effect  of  evidence.  "  What  evidence  have  you  to 
offer  in  proof  of  the  truth  of  your  statement?"  See  also 
Evidence. 

Propose — Purpose.  Writers  and  speakers  often  fail 
to  discriminate  properly  between  the  respective  meanings 


THE    VERBALIST.  221 

of  these  two  verbs.  Propose,  correctly  used,  means,  to  put 
forward  or  to  offer  to  be  considered  by  others  ;  hence,  a  pro- 
posal is  a  scheme  or  design  offered  for  acceptance  or  con- 
sideration, a  proposition.  Purpose  means,  to  attend,  to 
design,  to  resolve  ;  hence,  a  purpose  is  an  intention,  an  aim, 
that  that  one  sets  before  one's  self.  Examples :  "  What  do 
you  purpose  to  do  in  the  matter  ?  "  "  What  do  you  propose 
that  we  shall  do  in  the  matter?"  "  I  will  do"  means  "  I 
purpose  doing,  or  to  do." 

"  I  purpose  to  write  a  history  of  England  from  the  ac- 
cession of  King  James  the  Second  down  to  a  time  which 
[that]  is  within  the  memory  of  men  still  living." — Ma- 
caulay.  It  will  be  observed  that  Macaulay  says,  "  I  purpose 
to  write"  and  not,  "  I  purpose  writing"  using  the  verb  in 
the  infinitive  rather  than  in  the  participial  form. 

"On  which  he  purposed  to  mount  one  of  his  little 
guns." 

"  The  various  street  railway  companies  that  propose 
[purpose]  to  profit  by  the  provisions,"  etc. — Evening  Tele- 
gram. 

"The  three  gentlemen  named  have  hired  the  Bijou 
Opera  House  for  four  weeks,  and  propose  [purpose]  to  put 
on  English  opera  in  particularly  good  style." — N.  Y.  Times. 

"  I  don't  propose  [intend]  to  be  imposed  on."  See  In- 
finitive ;  also  Intend. 

Proposition.  This  word  is  often  used  when  proposal 
would  be  better,  for  the  reason  that  proposal  has  but  one 
meaning,  and  is  shorter  by  one  syllable.  "  He  demon- 
strated the  proposition  of  Euclid,  and  rejected  the  proposal 
of  his  friend." 

Correctly  used  :  "  Unless  we  are  going  to  dispute  the 
fundamental  proposition  that  two  and  two  make  four,"  etc. 

Prosaist.     Dr.  Fitz  Edward  Hall  is  of  opinion  that  this 


222  THE    VERBALIST. 

is  a  word  we  shall  do  well  to  encourage.  It  is  used  by  good 
writers. 

Proven.  This  form  for  the  past  participle  of  trie  verb 
to  prove  is  said  to  be  a  Scotticism.  It  is  not  used  by  careful 
writers  and  speakers.  The  correct  form  is  proved.  "An 
irregular  form,  confined  chiefly  to  law  courts  and  docu- 
ments."— Standard  Dictionary. 

Providing.  The  present  participle  of  the  verb  to  pro- 
vide is  sometimes  improperly  used  for  the  conjunction  pro- 
vided, as  in  this  sentence  from  the  London  Queen  :  "  So- 
ciety may  be  congratulated,  .  .  .  providing  that,"  etc. 

"  Mr.  Keene  is  now  graciously  permitted  to  send  the 
trophy  back  to  England  providing  [provided]  he  does  so 
within  thirty  days  from  July  2d." — N.  Y.  Herald. 

"  The  vox  populi  is  the  vox  Dei  providing  [provided] 
the  voice  of  the  people  .  .  .  can  be  heard." — N.  Y. 
Sun. 

"  This  interesting  young  woman  may  accept  gifts  from 
married  friends  providing  [provided]  both  husband  and  wife 
participate." — N.  Y.  Sun. 

"  He  offered  to  provide  a  stable  and  supply  the  necessi- 
ties of  the  company  providing  [provided]  the  control  of  the 
board  should  be  turned  over  to  him." — N.  Y.  Sun. 

Provoke.     See  Aggravate. 

Punctuation.  The  importance  of  punctuation  can  not 
be  overestimated  ;  it  not  only  helps  to  make  plain  the  mean- 
ing of  what  one  writes,  but  it  may  prevent  one's  being  mis- 
construed. Though  no  two  writers  could  be  found  that 
punctuate  just  alike,  still  in  the  main  those  that  pay  atten- 
tion to  the  art  put  in  their  stops  in  essentially  the  same 
manner.  The  difference  that  punctuation  may  make  in 
the  meaning  of  language  is  well  illustrated  by  the  follow, 
ing  anecdote : 


THE    VERBALIST. 


223 


At   Rames.?a  there  lived  a  benevolent  and  hospitable 
prior,  who  caused  these  lines  to  be  painted  over  his  door  : 
"  Be  open  evermore, 
O  thou  my  door  ! 

To  none  be  shut — to  honest  or  to  poor  ! " 
In  time  the  good  prior  was  succeeded  by  a  man  as  self- 
ish as  his  predecessor  was  generous.     The  lines  over  the 
door  of  the  priory  were  allowed  to  remain  ;  one  stop,  how- 
ever, was  altered,  which  made  them  read  thus  : 
"  Be  open  evermore, 
O  thou  my  door  ! 
To  none — be  shut  to  honest  or  to  poor  ! " 

He  punctuates  best  that  makes  his  punctuation  con- 
tribute most  to  the  clear  expression  of  his  thought ;  and 
that  construction  is  best  that  has  least  need  of  being  punc- 
tuated. 

The  Comma. — The  chief  difference  in  the  punctuation 
of  different  writers  is  usually  in  their  use  of  the  comma,  in 
regard  to  which  there  is  a  good  deal  of  latitude  ;  much  is 
left  to  individual  taste.  Nowadays  the  best  practice  uses 
it  sparingly.  An  idea  of  the  extent  to  which  opinions  dif- 
fer with  regard  to  the  use  of  the  comma  may  be  formed 
from  the  following  excerpt  from  a  paper  prepared  by  a 
skilled  hand  for  private  use  : 

"  In  the  following  examples,  gathered  from  various 
sources — chiefly  from  standard  books — the  superfluous  com- 
mas are  inclosed  in  parentheses  : 

"  1.  'It  remains(,)  perhapsf,)  to  be  said(,)  that,  if  any 
lesson  at  all(,)  as  to  these  delicate  matters(,)  is  needed(.)  in 
this  period,  it  is  not  so  much  a  lesson,'  etc.  2.  '  The  obe- 
dience is  not  due  to  the  power  of  a  right  authority,  but  to 
the  spirit  of  fear,  and(,)  thereforeQ  is(,)  in  reality(,)  no 
obedience  at  all.'     3.  '  The  patriot  disturbances  in  Canada 


224 


THE    VERBALIST. 


.  .  .  awakened  deep  interest  among  the  people  of  the  United 
StatesQ  who  *  lived  adjacent  to  the  frontier.'  4.  '  Observ- 
ers^) who*  have  recently  investigated  this  point(,)  do  not 
all  agree,'  etc.  5.  '  The  wind  did(,)  in  an  instantQ  what 
man  and  steam  together  had  failed  to  do  in  hours.'  6.  'All 
the  cabin  passengers(,)  situated  beyond  the  center  of  the 
boat(,)  were  saved.'  7.  '  No  other  writer  has  depicted(,) 
with  so  much  art  or  so  much  accuracy(,)  the  habits,  the 
manners,'  etc.  8.  '  If  it  shall  give  satisfaction  to  those  who 
have(,)  in  any  way(,)  befriended  it,  the  author  will  feel,' 
etc.  9.  '  Formed(,)  or  consisting(,)  of  clay.'  10.  '  The  sub- 
ject [witchcraft]  grew  interesting  ;  and(,)  to  examine  Sarah 
Cloyce  and  Elizabeth  Proctor,  the  deputy  governor(,)  and 
five  other  magistrates^)  went  to  Salem.'  11.  'The  Lusi- 
tanians(,)  whof  had  not  left  their  home(,)  rose  as  a  man,' 
etc.  12.  'Vague  reports  .  .  .  had  preceded  him  to  Wash- 
ington, and  his  Mississippi  friends(,)  who  chanced  to  be 
at  the  capitalQ  were  not  backward  to  make  their  boast  of 
him.'  13.  'Our  faith  has  acquired  a  new  vigor(,)  and  a 
clearer  vision.'  14.  '  In  i8i9(,)  he  removed  to  Cambridge.' 
15.  '  Dore  was  born  at  StrasburgQ  in  1832,  and  labors,' 
etc.  16.  '  We  should  never  apply  dry  compresses,  charpie, 
or  wadding(,)  to  the  wound.'  17.  ' — to  stand  idle,  to  look, 
act,  or  think(,)  in  a  leisurely  way.'  18.  ' — portraits  taken 
from  the  farmers,  schoolmasters,  and  peasantry(,)  of  the 
neighborhood.'  19.  ' — gladly  welcomed  painters  of  Flan- 
ders, Holland,  and  Spain(,)  to  their  shores.' 

"  In  all  these  cases  the  clauses  between  or  following 

*  A  relative  pronoun,  used  restrictively,  should  not  be  separated 
from  its  antecedent  with  any  mark  of  punctuation. 

T  We  can  not  tell  whether  this  is  a  restrictive  or  a  co-ordinating 
relative,  consequently  we  can  not  tell  whether  the  comma  is  required 
pr  not.    Did  all  the  Lusitanians  rise,  or  only  a  part  of  (hem  J 


THE    VERBALIST. 


225 


the  inclosed  commas  are  so  closely  connected  grammatically 
with  the  immediately  preceding  words  or  phrases  that  they 
should'be  read  without  a  perceptible  pause,  or  with  only  a 
slight  one  for  breath,  without  change  of  voice.  Some  of 
the  commas  would  grossly  pervert  the  meaning  if  strictly 
construed.  Thus,  from  No.  3  it  would  appear  that  the 
people  of  the  United  States  in  general  lived  adjacent  to 
the  frontier  ;  from  No.  4,  that  all  observers  have  recently 
investigated  the  point  in  question  ;  from  No.  6,  that  all  the 
cabin  passengers  were  so  situated  that  they  were  saved, 
whereas  it  is  meant  that  only  a  certain  small  proportion  of 
them  were  saved  ;  from  No.  10  (Bancroft),  that  somebody 
whose  name  is  accidentally  omitted  went  to  Salem  'to  ex- 
amine Sarah  Cloyce  and  Elizabeth  Proctor,  the  deputy 
governor,  and  five  other  magistrates';  from  No.  11,  that 
none  of  the  Lusitanians  had  left  their  home,  whereas 
it  was  the  slaughter  by  the  Romans  of  a  great  number 
of  them  who  had  left  their  home  that  caused  the  ris- 
ing. 

"  Commas  are  frequently  omitted,  and  in  certain  posi- 
tions very  generally,  where  the  sense  and  correct  reading 
require  a  pause.  In  the  following  examples,  such  commas, 
omitted  in  the  works  from  which  they  were  taken,  are  in- 
closed in  brackets  : 

"  1.  '  The  modes  of  thought[,]  and  the  types  of  charac- 
ter which  [that]  those  modes  produce[,]  are  essentially  and 
universally  transformed.'  2.  '  Taken  by  itself[,]  this  doc- 
trine could  have  no  effect  whatever  ;  indeed[,]  it  would 
amount  to  nothing  but  a  verbal  proposition.'  3.  '  Far  be- 
low[,]  the  little  stream  of  the  Oder  foamed  over  the  rocks.' 
4.  '  When  the  day  returned[,]  the  professor,  the  artist[,]  and 
I  rowed  to  within  a  hundred  yards  of  the  shore.'  5.  '  Pro- 
ceeding into  the  interior  of  India[,]  they  passed  through 


226  THE    VERBALIST. 

Belgaum.'  6.  '  If  Loring  is  defeated  in  the  Sixth  District^.] 
it  can  be  borne.' 

"  In  No.  3,  the  reader  naturally  enunciates  '  the  little 
stream  of  the  Oder '  as  in  the  objective  case  after  '  below ' ; 
but  there  he  comes  to  a  predicate  which  [that]  compels  him 
to  go  back  and  read  differently.  In  No.  4,  it  appears  that 
'  the  day  returned  the  professor,'  and  then  '  the  artist  and 
I  rowed,'  etc." 

All  clauses  should  commonly  be  isolated  by  commas  ; 
where,  however,  the  connection  is  very  close  or  the  clause 
is  very  short,  no  point  may  be  necessary.  "  But  his  pride 
is  greater  than  his  ignorance,  and  what  he  wants  in  knowl- 
edge he  supplies  by  sufficiency."  "A  man  of  polite  imagi- 
nation can  converse  with  a  picture,  and  find  an  agreeable 
companion  in  a  statue."  "  Though  he  slay  me,  yet  will 
I  trust  in  him."  "  The  prince,  his  father  being  dead,  suc- 
ceeded." "  To  confess  the  truth,  I  was  much  at  fault." 
"As  the  hart  panteth  after  the  water-brooks,  so  panteth 
my  soul  after  thee."  "Where  the  bee  sucks,  there  suck  I." 
"  His  father  dying,  he  succeeded  to  the  estate."  "  The  lit- 
tle that  is  known,  and  the  circumstance  that  little  is  known, 
must  be  considered  as  honorable  to  him." 

The  comma  is  used  before  and  after  a  phrase  when  co- 
ordinating and  not  restrictive.  "  The  jury,  having  retired 
for  half  an  hour,  brought  in  a  verdict."  "  The  stranger, 
unwilling  to  obtrude  himself  on  our  notice,  left  in  the 
morning."  "  Rome,  the  city  of  the  emperors,  became  the 
city  of  the  popes."  "  His  stories,  which  made  everybody 
laugh,  were  often  made  to  order."  "  He  did  not  come, 
which  I  greatly  regret."  "  The  younger,  who  was  yet  a 
boy,  had  nothing  striking  in  his  appearance."  "  They 
passed  the  cup  to  the  stranger,  who  drank  heartily." 
"  Peace  at  any  price,  which  these  orators  seem  to  advo- 


THE    VERBALIST.  227 

• 

cate,  means  war  at  any  cost."    "  Sailors,  who  are  commonly 
superstitious,  say  it  is  unlucky  to  embark  on  Friday." 

Adverbs  and  short  phrases,  -when  they  break  the  connec- 
tion, should  be  between  commas.  Some  of  the  most  com- 
mon words  and  phrases  so  used  are  the  following :  Also, 
too,  there,  indeed,  perhaps,  surely,  moreover,  likewise, 
however,  finally,  namely,  therefore,  apparently,  meanwhile, 
consequently,  unquestionably,  accordingly,  notwithstand- 
ing, in  truth,  in  fact,  in  short,  in  general,  in  reality,  no 
doubt,  of  course,  as  it  were,  at  all  events,  to  be  brief,  to  be 
sure,  now  and  then,  on  the  contrary,  in  a  word,  by  chance, 
in  that  case,  in  the  meantime,  for  the  most  part.  "  His- 
tory, in  a  word,  is  replete  with  moral  lessons."  "  As  an 
orator,  however,  he  was  not  great."  "There  is,  remem- 
ber, a  limit  at  which  forbearance  ceases  to  be  a  virtue." 
"  Our  civilization,  therefore,  is  not  an  unmixed  good." 
"  This,  I  grant  you,  is  not  of  great  importance." 

If,  however,  the  adverb  does  not  break  the  connection, 
but  readily  coalesces  with  the  rest  of  the  sentence,  the 
commas  are  omitted.  "  Morning  will  come  at  last,  how- 
ever dark  the  night  may  be."  "  We  then  proceeded  on 
our  way."  "  Our  civilization  is  therefore  not  an  unmixed 
good."  "  Patience,  I  say  ;  your  mind  perhaps  may 
change." 

Adverbial  phrases  and  clauses  beginning  a  sentence  are 
set  off  by  commas.  "In  truth,  I  could  not  tell."  "To 
sum  up,  the  matter  is  this."  "  Everything  being  ready, 
they  set  out."  "  By  looking  a  little  deeper,  the  reason 
will  be  found."  "  Finally,  let  me  sum  up  the  argument." 
"  If  the  premises  were  admitted,  I  should  deny  the  con- 
clusion." "  Where  your  treasure  is,  there  will  your  heart 
be  also." 

Words  used  in  apposition  should  be  isolated  by  com- 


228  THE    VERBALIST. 

mas.  "  Newton,  the  great  mathematician,  was  very  mod- 
est." "  And  he,  their  prince,  shall  rank  among  my  peers." 
In  such  sentences,  however,  as  "  The  mathematician  New- 
ton  was  very  modest,"  and  "  The  Emperor  Napoleon  was  a 
great  soldier,"  commas  are  not  used. 

The  name  or  designation  of  a  person  addressed  is  iso- 
lated by  commas.  "  It  touches  you,  my  lord,  as  well  as 
me."  "John,  come  here."  "  Mr.  President,  my  object  is 
peace."  "Tell  me,  boy,  where  do  you  live?"  "  Yes,  sir, 
I  will  do  as  you  say."  "  Mr.  Brown,  what  is  your  num- 
ber?" 

Pairs  of  words  :  "  Old  and  young,  rich  and  poor,  wise 
and  foolish,  were  involved."  "  Sink  or  swim,  live  or  die, 
survive  or  perish,  I  give  my  hand  and  heart  to  this  vote." 
"  Interest  and  ambition,  honor  and  shame,  friendship  and 
enmity,  gratitude  and  revenge,  are  the  prime  movers  in 
public  transactions." 

A  restrictive  clause  is  not  separated  by  a  comma  from 
the  noun.  "  Every  one  must  love  a  boy  who  [that]  is  at- 
tentive and  docile."  "  lie  preaches  sublimely  who  lives  a 
holy  life."  "  The  things  which  [that]  are  seen  are  tem- 
poral." "  A  king  depending  on  the  support  of  his  subjects 
can  not  rashly  go  to  war."  "  The  sailor  who  [that]  is  not 
superstitious  will  embark  any  day." 

The  comma  is  used  after  adjectives,  nouns,  and  verbs 
in  sentences  like  the  following  : 

"  Are  all  thy  conquests,  glories,  triumphs,  spoils 

Shrunk  to  this  little  measure  ?" 
"  He  fills,  he  bounds,  connects  and  equals  all." 
"  Who  to  the  enraptured  heart,  and  ear,  and  eye 
Teach  beauty,  virtue,  truth,  and  love,  and  melody."  * 

*   '  Some  writers  omit  the  comma  in  cases  where  the  conjunction  is 
used.     But,  as  the  conjunction  is  generally  employe^  in  such  cases  for 


THE    VERBALIST.  229 

"  He  rewarded  his  friends,  chastised  his  foes,  set  Jus- 
tice on  her  seat,  and  made  his  conquest  secure." 

The  comma  is  used  to  separate  adjectives  in  opposition, 
but  closely  connected.  "  Though  deep,  yet  clear  ;  though 
gentle,  yet  not  dull."  "  Liberal,  not  lavish,  is  kind  Na- 
ture's hand."  "  Though  black,  yet  comely  ;  and  though 
rash,  benign." 

After  a  nominative,  where  the  verb  is  understood.  "  To 
err  is  human;  to  forgive,  divine."  "A  wise  man  seeks 
to  shine  in  himself;  a  fool,  in  others."  "Conversation 
makes  a  ready  man  ;  writing,  an  exact  man  ;  reading,  a  full 
man." 

A  long  subject  is  often  separated  from  the  predicate  by 
a  comma.  "  Any  one  that  refuses  to  earn  an  honest  liveli- 
hood, is  not  an  object  of  charity."  "The  circumstance  of 
his  being  unprepared  to  adopt  immediate  and  decisive 
measures,  was  represented  to  the  Government."  "  That 
he  had  persistently  disregarded  every  warning  and  per- 
severed in  his  reckless  course,  had  not  yet  undermined  his 
credit  with  his  dupes."  "That  the  work  of  forming  and 
perfecting  the  character  is  difficult,  is  generally  allowed." 

In  a  series  of  adjectives  that  precede  their  noun,  a  comma 
is  placed  after  each  except  the  last  ;  there  usage  omits  the 
point.  "A  beautiful,  tall,  willowy,  sprightly  girl."  "A 
quick,  brilliant,  studious,  learned  man."* 

A  comma  is  placed  between  short  members  of  com- 

emphasis,  commas  ought  to  be  used  ;  although  where  the  words  are 
very  closely  connected,  or  where  they  constitute  a  clause  in  the  midst 
of  a  long  sentence,  they  may  be  omitted." — Bigelow's  Handbook  of 
Punctuation. 

*  "  This  usage  violates  one  of  the  fundamental  principles  of  punc- 
tuation ;  it  indicates,  very  improperly,  that  the  noun  man  is  more 
closely  connected  with  learned  than  with  the  other  adjectives.  Anal- 
ogy and  perspicuity  require  a  comma  after  learned.'" — Quackenbos. 


230  THE    VERBALIST. 

pound  sentences  connected  by  and,  but,  for,  nor,  or,  because, 
whereas,  that  expressing  purpose  (so  that,  in  order  that), 
and  other  conjunctions.  "  Be  virtuous,  that  you  may  be 
respected."  "  Love  not  sleep,  lest  you  come  to  poverty." 
"  Man  proposes,  but  God  disposes." 

A  comma  must  not  be  placed  before  that  except  when 
it  is  equivalent  to  in  order  that.  "  He  says  that  he  will  be 
here." 

A  comma  must  not  be  placed  before  and  when  it  con- 
nects two  words  only.  "  Time  and  tide  wait  for  no  man." 
"  A  rich  and  prosperous  people."  "  Plain  and  honest  truth 
wants  no  artificial  covering." 

A  comma  is  sometimes  necessary  to  prevent  ambiguity. 
"  He  who  [that]  pursues  pleasure  only  defeats  the  object 
of  his  creation."  Without  a  comma  before  or  after  only, 
the  meaning  of  this  sentence  is  doubtful. 

The  following  sentences  present  some  miscellaneous  ex- 
amples of  the  use  of  the  comma  by  writers  on  punctuation  : 
"  Industry,  as  well  as  genius,  is  essential  to  the  production 
of  great  works."  "  Prosperity  is  secured  to  a  state,  not  by 
the  acquisition  of  territory  or  riches,  but  by  the  encourage- 
ment of  industry."  "  Your  manners  are  affable,  and,  for 
the  most  part,  pleasing."  * 

"  However  fairly  a  bad  man  may  appear  to  act,  we  dis- 
trust him."  "  Why,  this  is  rank  injustice  ! "  "  Well,  follow 
the  dictates  of  your  inclination."  "  The  comma  may  be 
omitted  in  the  case  of  too,  also,  therefore,  and  perhaps, 
when  introduced  so  as  not  to  interfere  with  the  harmonious 
flow  of  the  period ;  and,  particularly,  when  the  sentence  is 
short."  f  "Robert  Horton,  M.  D.,  F.  R.  S."  "To  those 
who  [that]  labor,  sleep    is  doubly   pleasant."      "  Sleep  is 

*  Many  writers  would  omit  the  last  two  commas  in  this  sentence. 
t  The  commas  before  and  af  t^r  particularly  are  hardly  necessary. 


THE    VERBALIST.  2^I 

doubly  pleasant  to  those  who  [that]  labor."  "  Those  who 
[that]  persevere,  succeed."  "  To  be  overlooked,  slighted, 
and  neglected  ;  to  be  misunderstood,  misrepresented,  and 
slandeied;  to  be  trampled  under  foot  by  the  envious,  the 
ignorant,  and  the  vile  ;  to  be  crushed  by  foes,  and  to  be 
distrusted  and  betrayed  even  by  friends — such  is  too  often 
the  fate  of  genius."  "  She  is  tall,  though  not  so  handsome 
as  her  sister."  "  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you."  "  What- 
ever is,  is  right."  "What  is  foreordained  to  be,  will  be." 
"  The  Emperor  Augustus  was  a  patron  of  the  fine  arts." 
"Augustus,  the  Emperor,  was  a  patron  of  the  fine  arts." 
"United,  we  stand;  divided,  we  fall."  "God  said,  Let 
there  be  light."  "July  21,  1881."  "President  Garfield 
was  shot,  Saturday  morning,  July  2,  1881  ;  he  died,  Mon- 
day night,  Sept.  19,  1SS1."  "  I  am,  sir,  very  respectfully, 
your  obedient  servant,  John  Jones."  "  New  York,  August, 
1SS1."  "  Room  20,  Equitable  Building,  Broadway,  New 
York." 

"  When  you  are  in  doubt  us  to  the  propriety  of  inserting 
commas^  omit  them  ;  IT  IS  BETTER  TO  HAVE  TOO  FEW  THAN 
too  many." — Quackenbos. 

The  Semicolon. — Reasons  are  preceded  by  semi- 
colons :  "  Economy  is  no  disgrace  ;  for  it  is  better  to  live 
on  a  little  than  to  outlive  a  great  deal."  Clauses  in  oppo- 
sition are  separated  by  a  semicolon  when  the  second  is  in- 
troduced by  an  adversative :  "  Straws  swim  at  the  sur- 
face ;  but  pearls  lie  at  the  bottom."  "  Lying  lips  are  an 
abomination  to  the  Lord  ;  but  they  that  deal  truly  are  his 
delight."  Without  the  adversative,  the  colon  is  to  be  pre- 
ferred :  "  Prosperity  shovveth  vice  :  adversity,  virtue."  The 
great  divisions  of  a  sentence  must  be  pointed  with  a  semi- 
colon when  the  minor  divisions  are  pointed  with  commas  : 
"  Mirth  should  be  the  embroidery  of  conversation,  not  the 


232  THE    VERBALIST. 

web  ;  and  wit  the  ornament  of  the  mind,  not  the  furniture." 
The  things  enumerated  must  be  separated  by  semicolons 
when  the  enunciation  of  particulars  is  preceded  by  a 
colon  :  "  The  value  of  a  maxim  depends  on  four  things  : 
the  correctness  of  the  principle  it  embodies  ;  the  subject  to 
which  it  relates  ;  the  extent  of  its  application  ;  and  the 
ease  with  which  it  may  be  practically  carried  out."  When 
as  introduces  an  example,  it  is  preceded  by  a  semicolon. 
When  several  successive  clauses  have  a  common  connection 
with  a  preceding  or  following  clause,  they  are  separated  by 
semicolons  ;  as,  "  Chddren,  as  they  gamboled  on  the  beach  ; 
reapers,  as  they  gathered  the  harvest ;  mowers,  as  they 
rested  from  using  the  scythe ;  mothers,  as  they  busied 
themselves  about  the  household — were  victims  to  an  enemy 
who  [that]  disappeared  the  moment  a  blow  was  struck." 
"  Reason  as  we  may,  it  is  impossible  not  to  read  in  such  a 
fate  much  that  we  know  not  how  to  interpret ;  much  of 
provocation  to  cruel  deeds  and  deep  resentment  ;  much  of 
apology  for  wrong  and  perfidy  ;  much  of  doubt  and  mis- 
giving as  to  the  past  ;  much  of  painful  recollection  ;  much 
of  dark  foreboding."  "  Philosophers  assert  that  Nature  is 
unlimited  ;  that  her  treasures  are  endless  ;  that  the  increase 
of  knowledge  will  never  cease." 

The  Colon. — This  point  is  less  used  now  than  for- 
merly :  its  place  is  supplied  by  the  period,  the  semicolon, 
or  the  dash  ;  and  sometimes  even  by  the  comma.  The 
colon  is  used  very  differently  by  different  writers.  "He 
was  heard  to  say,  '  I  have  done  with  this  world.'  "  Some 
writers  would  put  a  colon,  some  a  comma,  after  say. 
"  When  the  quoted  passage  is  brought  in  without  any  in- 
troductory word,  if  short,"  says  Quackenbos,  "  it  is  gen- 
erally preceded  by  a  comma  ;  if  long,  by  a  colon  ;  as,  '  A 
simpleton,  meeting  a  philosopher,  asked  him,  "  What  affords 


THE    VERBALIST.  233 

wise  men  the  greatest  pleasure?"     Turning  on  his  heel, 
the  sage  replied,  "  To  get  rid  of  fools." 

Formal  enumerations  of  particulars,  and  direct  quota- 
tions, when  introduced  by  such  phrases  as  in  these  words, 
as  follows,  the  following,  namely,  this,  t/iese,  thus,  etc.,  are 
properly  preceded  by  a  colon.  "  We  hold  these  truths  to 
be  self-evident :  that  all  men  are  created  equal ;  that  they 
are  endowed  by  their  Creator  with  certain  inalienable 
rights  ;  that  among  these  are  life,  liberty,  and  the  pursuit 
of  happiness."  "  Lord  Bacon  has  summed  up  the  whole 
matter  in  the  following  words  :  '  A  little  philosophy  in- 
clineth  men's  minds  to  atheism  ;  but  depth  in  philosophy 
bringeth  men's  minds  to  religion.'  "  "  The  human  family 
is  composed  of  five  races  :  first,  the  Caucasian  ;  second,  the 
Mongolian  ;  third,  the,"  etc. 

"  All  were  attentive  to  the  godlike  man, 
When  from  his  lofty  couch  he  thus  began  : 
'  Great  queen,'  "  etc. — Dryden. 

When  the  quotation,  or  other  matter,  begins  a  new 
paragraph,  the  colon  is,  by  many  writers,  followed  with  a 
dash  ;  as  "  The  cloth  being  removed,  the  President  rose 
and  said : — 

" '  Ladies  and  gentlemen,  we  are,'  "  etc. 

The  colon  is  used  to  mark  the  greater  breaks  in  sen- 
tences when  the  lesser  breaks  are  marked  by  semicolons. 
"  You  have  called  yourself  an  atom  in  the  universe  ;  you 
have  said  that  you  are  but  an  insect  in  the  solar  blaze  :  is 
your  present  pride  consistent  with  these  professions  ?  "  "A 
clause  is  either  independent  or  dependent :  independent, 
if  it  forms  an  assertion  by  itself ;  dependent,  if  it  enters 
into  some  other  clause  with  the  value  of  a  part  of  speech." 
A  colon  is  sometimes  used  instead  of  a  period  to  separate 
two  short  sentences  that  are  closely  connected.  "  Never 
16 


2 34  THE    VERBALIST. 

flatter  people  :  leave  that  to  such  as  mean  to  betray  them." 
"  Some  things  we  can,  and  others  we  can  not  do :  we  can 
walk,  but  we  can  not  fly." 

The  Period. — Complete  sentences  are  always  followed 
either  by  a  period,  or  by  an  exclamation  or  an  interrogation 
point.* 

The  period  is  also  used  after  abbreviations  ;  as,  R.  D. 
Van  Nostrand,  St.  Louis,  Mo. ;  Jno.  B.  Morris,  M.  D., 
F.  R.  S.,  London,  Eng. ;  Jas.  W.  Wallack,  Jr.,  New  York 
City,  N.  Y. ;  Jas.  B.  Roberts,  Elocutionist,  Phila.,  Pa. 

Interrogation  Point. — This  point  is  used  after  ques- 
tions put  by  the  writer,  and  after  questions  reported  direct- 
ly. "  What  can  I  do  for  you  ?  "  "  Where  are  you  going?  " 
"  '  What  do  you  say  ? '  cried  the  General."  "  The  child  still 
lives?"  It  should  not  be  used  when  the  question  is  re- 
ported indirectly.  "  He  asked  me  where  I  was  going." 
"  The  Judge  asked  the  witness  if  he  believed  the  man  to 
be  guilty." 

Exclamation  Point. — This  mark  is  placed  after  in- 
terjections, after  sentences  and  clauses  of  sentences  of  pas- 
sionate import,  and  after  solemn  invocations  and  addresses. 
"  Zounds  !  the  man's  in  earnest."  "  Pshaw  !  what  can  we 
do?  "  "  Bah  !  what's  that  to  me  ? "  "  Indeed  !  then  I  must 
look  to  it."  "Look,  my  lord,  it  comes!"  "Rest,  rest, 
perturbed  spirit  !  "  "  O  heat,  dry  up  my  brains  ! "  "  Dear 
maid,  kind  sister,  sweet  Ophelia  !  "  "  While  in  this  part 
of  the  country,  I  once  more  revisited — and,  alas,  with  what 
melancholy  presentiments  ! — the  home  of  my  youth."  "  O 
rose  of  May  ! "  "  Oh,  from  this  time  forth,  my  thoughts 
be  bloody  or  be  nothing  worth  ! "  "  O  heavens  !  die  two 
months  ago,  and  not  forgotten  yet  ?  " 


*  The  only  exception  to  this  rule  is  the  occasional  use  of  the  colon 
to  separate  two  short  sentences  that  are  closely  connected. 


THE    VERBALIST.  235 

"  Night,  sable  goddess  !  from  her  ebon  throne, 
In  rayless  majesty  now  stretches  forth 
Her  leaden  scepter  o'er  a  slumbering  world. 
Silence,  how  dead  !  and  darkness,  how  profound  ! " 

Young. 
"  Hail,  holy  light  !  offspring  of  heaven  just  born  !" 

Milton. 
"  But  thou,  O  Hope  !  with  eyes  so  fair, 
What  was  thy  delighted  measure  ?  " — Collins. 
It  will  be  observed  that  the  interjection  O  is  an  excep- 
tion to  the  rule  :  it  is  often  followed  by  a  comma,  but  never 
by  an  exclamation  point. 

An  exclamation  point  sometimes  gives  the  same  words 
quite  another  meaning.  The  difference  between  "  What's 
that  ?  "  and  "  What's  that !  "  is  obvious. 

The  Dash. — Cobbett  did  not  favor  the  use  of  this 
mark,  as  we  see  from  the  following  :  "  Let  me  caution  you 
against  the  use  of  what,  by  some,  is  called  the  dash.  The 
dash  is  a  stroke  along  the  line ;  thus,  '  I  am  rich — I  was 
poor — I  shall  be  poor  again.'  This  is  wild  work  indeed  ! 
Who  is  to  know  what  is  intended  by  these  dashes?  Those 
who  [that]  have  thought  proper,  like  Mr.  Lindley  Murray, 
to  place  the  dash  among  the  grammatical  points,  ought  to 
give  us  some  rule  relative  to  its  different  longitudinal 
dimensions  in  different  cases.  The  inch,  the  three-quarter 
inch,  the  half  inch,  the  quarter  inch  :  these  would  be  some- 
thing determinate  ;  but  '  the  dash,'  without  measure,  must 
be  a  perilous  thing  for  the  young  grammarian  to  handle. 
In  short,  '  the  dash '  is  a  cover  for  ignorance  as  to  the  use 
of  points,  and  it  can  answer  no  other  purpose." 

This  is  one  of  the  few  instances  in  which  Cobbett  was 
wrong.  The  dash  is  the  proper  point  with  which  to  mark 
an  unexpected  or  emphatic  pause,  or  a  sudden  break  or 


236 


THE    VERBALIST. 


transition.  It  is  very  often  preceded  by  another  point. 
"  And  Huitzilopochtli — a  sweet  name  to  roll  under  one's 
tongue — for  how  many  years  has  this  venerable  war-god 
blinked  in  the  noonday  sun  ! "  "  Crowds  gathered  about 
the  newspaper  bulletins,  recalling  the  feverish  scenes  that 
occurred  when  the  President's  life  was  thought  to  be  hang- 
ing by  a  thread.     'Wouldn't  it  be  too  bad,' said  one,  'if, 

after  all no,  I  won't  allow  myself  to  think  of  it.'  "    "  Was 

there  ever but  I  scorn  to  boast."     "  You  are no, 

I'll  not  tell  you  what  you  are." 

"  He  suffered — but  his  pangs  are  o'er  ; 
Enjoyed — but  his  delights  are  fled  ; 
Had  friends — his  friends  are  now  no  more  ; 
And  foes — his  foes  are  dead." — Montgomery. 
"Greece,  Carthage,  Rome — where  are  they?"     "  He  chas- 
tens ; — but  he  chastens  to  save." 

Dashes  are  much  used  where  parentheses  were  formerly 
employed.  "  In  the  days  of  Tweed  the  expression  to  divide 
fair — forcible,  if  not  grammatical — acquired  much  currency." 
"  In  truth,  the  character  of  the  great  chief  was  depicted  two 
thousand  five  hundred  years  before  his  birth,  and  depicted 
— such  is  the  power  of  genius — in  colors  which  [that]  will 
be  fresh  as  many  years  after  his  death."  "  To  render  the 
Constitution  perpetual — which  God  grant  it  may  be  ! — it  is 
necessary  that  its  benefits  should  be  practically  felt  by  all 
parts  of  the  country." 

Parenthesis. — This  mark  is  comparatively  little  used 
nowadays.  The  dash  is  preferred,  probably  because  it  dis- 
figures the  page  less.  The  office  of  the  parenthesis  is  to 
isolate  a  phrase  that  is  merely  incidental,  and  that  might  be 
omitted  without  detriment  to  the  grammatical  construction. 
"  Know  then  this  truth  (enough  for  man  to  know), 
Virtue  alone  is  happiness  below." — Pope. 


THE    VERBALIST. 


?57 


"  The  bliss  of  man  (could  pride  that  blessing  find) 
Is  not  to  act  or  think  beyond  mankind." 

Brackets  are  used  principally  to  inclose  words  improp- 
erly omitted  by  the  writer,  or  words  introduced  for  the 
purpose  of  explanation  or  to  correct  an  error.  Brackets  are 
often  used  in  this  book  to  correct  errors. 

The  Apostrophe. — This  point  is  used  to  denote  the 
omission  of  letters  and  sometimes  of  figures  ;  as,  Jan'y,  '81  ; 
I've  for  I  have  ;  you '11 Tor  yon  zvill ;  'tis  for  it  is  ;  don't  for 
do  not ;  can't  for  can  not ;  it  was  in  the  year  '93  ;  the  spirit 
of  '76  ;  it  was  in  the  years  1812,  '13,  and  '14. 

Also  to  denote  the  possessive  case  ;  as,  Brown's  house  ; 
the  king's  command;  Moses's  staff;  for  conscience' sake  ; 
the  boys'  garden. 

Also  with  j  to  denote  the  plural  of  letters,  figures,  and 
signs  ;  as,  Cross  your  A,  dot  you  i's,  and  mind  your  /'s  and 
^'s  ;  make  your  5's  better,  and  take  out  the  x's. 

Capitals. — A  capital  letter  should  begin  every  sen- 
tence, every  line  of  verse,  and  every  direct  quotation. 

All  names  of  the  Deity,  of  Jesus  Christ,  of  the  Trinity, 
and  of  the  Virgin  Mary  must  begin  with  a  capital.  Pro- 
nouns are  usually  capitalized  when  they  refer  to  the  Deity. 

Proper  names,  and  nouns  and  adjectives  formed  from 
proper  names,  names  of  streets,  of  the  months,  of  the  days 
of  the  week,  and  of  the  holidays,  are  capitalized. 

Titles  of  nobility  and  of  high  office,  when  used  to  desig- 
nate particular  persons,  are  capitalized  ;  as,  The  Earl  of 
Dunraven  ;  the  Mayor  of  Boston  ;  the  Baron  replied  ;  the 
Cardinal  presided. 

The  Paragraph. — In  writing  for  the  press,  the  division 
of  matter  into  paragraphs  is  often  quite  arbitrary  ;  in  letter- 
writing,  on  the  contrary,  the  several  topics  treated  of  should, 
as  a  rule,  be  isolated  by  paragraphic  divisions.     These  di- 


238 


THE    VERBALIST. 


visions  give  one's  letters  a  shapely  appearance  that  they 
otherwise  never  have. 

Purchase.  This  word  is  much  preferred  to  its  synonym 
buy,  by  that  class  of  persons  that  prefer  the  word  reside  to 
live,  procure  to  get,  inaugurate  to  begin,  and  so  on.  They 
are  usually  of  those  that  are  great  in  pretense,  and  that 
would  be  greater  still  if  they  were  to  pretend  to  all  they 
have  to  pretend  to. 

Purpose.     See  Profose  ;  also  Intend. 

Put  up.  We  sometimes  find  slang  where  we  least  ex- 
pect to  find  it. 

"  The  watch  will  be  handed  to  Mr.  Dutcher  on  his 
return  to  Brooklyn.  A  few  of  his  Republican  friends,  it 
is  understood,  put  up  the  money  that  was  paid  for  its  re- 
turn."—N.  Y.  Sun. 

Quantity.  This  word  is  often  improperly  used  for 
number.  Quantity  should  be  used  in  speaking  of  what  is 
measured  or  weighed  ;  number,  of  what  is  counted.  Ex- 
amples :  "  What  quantity  of  apples  have  you,  and  what 
number  of  pineapples?"  "Delaware  produces  a  large 
quantity  of  peaches  and  a  great  number  of  melons." 

Quit.  This  word  means,  properly,  to  leave,  to  go  away 
from,  to  forsake;  as,  "Avaunt  !  quit  my  sight!"  This  is 
the  only  sense  in  which  the  English  use  it.  In  America,  it 
is  commonly  used  in  the  sense  of  to  leave  off,  to  stop  ;  as, 
"  Quit  your  nonsense  "  ;  "  Quit  laughing  "  ;  "  Quit  your 
noise  "  ;  "  He  has  quit  smoking,"  and  so  on. 

Quite.  This  word  originally  meant  completely,  per- 
fectly, totally,  entirely,  fully  ;  and  this  is  the  sense  it  was 
used  in  by  the  early  writers  of  English.  It  is  now  often 
used  in  the  sense  of  rather ;  as,  "  It  is  quite  warm  "  ;  "  She 
is  quite  tall  "  ;  "  He  is  quite  proficient."  Sometimes  it  is 
incorrectly  used  in  the  sense  of  considerable  ;  as,  quite  an 


THE    VERBALIST. 


239 


amount,  quite  a  number,  quite  a  fortune.  Quite,  according 
to  good  modern  usage,  may  qualify  an  adjective,  but  not  a 
noun.  "  She  is  quite  the  lady  "  is  a  vile  phrase,  meaning, 
"  She  is  very  or  quite  ladylike." 

"  Quite  often  holds  in  signification  a  place  intermediate 
between  altogether  and  somewhat.  The  French  assez  and 
the  Italian  assai  have  a  similar  acceptation." — Hall. 

Railroad  Depot.  Few  things  are  more  offensive  to 
fastidious  ears  than  to  hear  a  railway  station  called  a  depot. 
A  depot  is  properly  a  place  where  goods  or  stores  of  any 
kind  are  kept ;  and  the  places  at  which  the  trains  of  a  rail- 
road— or,  better,  railway — stop  for  passengers,  or  the  points 
they  start  from  and  arrive  at,  are  properly  the  stations. 

Railway.  The  English  prefer  this  word  to  railroad, 
and  it  is  growing  in  favor  in  this  country. 

Raise.  This  word  is  much  misused  in  the  sense  of 
rear.     Properly,  we  rear  children  and  raise  animals. 

Raise  the  rent.  An  expression  incorrectly  used  for 
increase  the  rent. 

Rare.  "  Our  request  for  information,"  says  the  Acade- 
my, "  as  to  the  use  of  the  word  rare  in  the  sense  of  under- 
done has  brought  us  so  many  letters  that  we  can  acknowl- 
edge them  only  en  masse.  That  a  so-called  '  Americanism ' 
should  turn  out  to  be  genuine  English  vernacular  is  no  new 
thing ;  but  we  confess  to  surprise  that  this  particular  word 
should  be  common  almost  throughout  the  length  and  breadth 
of  the  country,  and  in  Ireland  as  well.  From  Scotland  we 
have  heard  nothing." 

Rarely.  It  is  no  uncommon  thing  to  see  this  adverb 
improperly  used  in  such  sentences  as,  "  It  is  very  rarely 
that  the  puppets  of  the  romancer  assume,"  etc. — Appletons' 
Journal.  "  But,"  says  the  defender  of  this  phraseology, 
"  rarely  qualifies  a  verb — the  verb  to  be."     Not  at  all.     The 


240 


THE    VERBALIST. 


sentence,  if  written  out  in  full,  would  be,  "  It  is  a  very  rare 
thing  that,"  etc.  ;  or,  "  The  circumstance  is  a  very  rare  one 
that,"  etc.  ;  or,  "  It  is  a  very  rare  occurrence  that,"  etc.  To 
those  that  contend  for  "  It  is  very  rarely  that,"  etc.,  I  would 
say,  It  is  very  sadly  that  persons  of  culture  will  write  and 
then  defend — or  rather  try  to  defend — such  grammar. 

"  So  rarely  [rare]  is  it  that  any  exploration  of  the  upper 
atmosphere  can  be  made  that  one  of  the  thermal  observa- 
tions recorded  by,"  etc. — N.  Y.  Herald. 

"  It  is  rarely  [rare]  that  one  hears  of  so  homogeneous  a 
family." — N.  Y.  Tribune. 

"  '  It  is  very  rarely  [rare]  that  a  mother  comes  here  to 
look  for  her  child,'  remarked  one  of  the  attendants  at  the 
Foundling  Asylum." — N.  Y.  Herald. 

Rarely  is  sometimes  misused  for  exceedingly  ;  thus, 
"  The  evening  was  rarely  enjoyable." 

Ratiocinate.     See  Effectuate.     See  page  324. 

Real.  This  adjective  is  often  vulgarly  used  in  the  sense 
of  the  adverb  very  ;  thus,  real  nice,  real  pretty,  real  angry, 
real  cute,  and  so  on. 

Recommend.  This  word,  which  means,  to  commend 
or  praise  to  another,  to  declare  worthy  of  esteem,  trust,  or 
favor,  is  sometimes  put  to  strange  uses.  Example  :  "  Re- 
solved, That  the  taxpayers  of  the  county  be  recommended  to 
meet,"  etc.  What  the  resolving  gentleman  meant  was,  that 
the  taxpayers  should  be  counseled  to  meet. 

Redundancy.     See  Pleonasm. 

Reflexive  Pronouns.  The  reflexive  pronouns  myself, 
yourself,  etc.,  should  not  be  used  for  /,  you,  etc.  They 
have  a  meaning  peculiar  to  themselves,  and  are  not  true 
nominatives.  Formerly  the  personal  pronouns  were  used 
reflexively,  "  I  never  did  repent  me  doing  good."  The  ad- 
dition of  self  only  rendered  them  more  emphatic.     Self 


THE    VERBALIST. 


241 


was  an  adjective  meaning  same.  "  I  myself  will  do  it " 
equals  "  I  the  same  will  do  it."  Myself  and  yourself  are 
incorrectly  used  in  the  following  sentences  : 

"  Mr.  S.  and  myself  [I]  decided  to  take  one  man  apiece." 

"  Mr.  H.  and  myself  [I]  never  enjoyed  anything  more." 

"  It  is  true  that,  at  the  assembling  of  Parliament,  your- 
self [you],  and  many  other  independent  members,  were 
unwilling,"  etc. 

Nowadays,  the  reflexive  pronouns  are  properly  used  for 
emphasis  only. 

Relative  Pronouns.     See  That,  Which,  Who. 

Relative — Relation.  In  speaking  of  one's  kindred, 
the  better  of  these  two  words  to  use  is  relative.  "  Our  near 
and  dear  relatives  are  the  first  objects  of  our  regard." 

Reliable.  The  following  defense  of  this  word  is  taken 
from  the  Imperial  Dictionary,  published  by  The  Century 
Company.  I  quote  the  entire  definition,  which  may  be 
accepted  as  the  latest  English  authority  on  the  subject : 

"  Such  as  may  be  relied  on  ;  fit  or  worthy  to  be  relied 
on  ;  to  be  depended  on.  This  word  has  been  again  and 
again  attacked  by  different  writers,  having  been  at  various 
times  stigmatized  as  an  Americanism,  as  irregular  in  for- 
mation, as  unnecessary,  as  vulgar,  and  what  not.  Against 
such  charges,  however,  it  has  found  able  defenders,  the 
most  notable  of  whom  is  Mr.  Fitz-Edward  Hall,  in  his 
little  work  On  English  Adjectives  in  -able,  with  Special 
Reference  to  Reliable.  The  first  instance  of  its  use  as 
known  to  him  was  in  a  paper  written  by  Coleridge  to  the 
Morning  Post  in  1800,  the  expression  in  which  it  occurs 
being  '  the  best  means,  and  most  reliable  pledge.'  Cole- 
ridge used  it  repeatedly  afterward  ;  and  it  has  also  been 
used  by  many  good  writers  since.  It  is  now,  indeed,  of 
every-day  occurrence,  though  no  doubt  certain  persons  still 


242 


THE    VERBALIST. 


object  to  the  use  of  it.  Among  those  who  have  employed 
it  Mr.  Hall  mentions  Rev.  James  Martineau,  Mr.  Glad- 
stone, Dr.  Newman,  Mr.  John  Stuart  Mill,  Dr.  Henry 
Maudsley,  Bishop  Wilberforce,  Dean  Mansel,  Harriet  Mar- 
tineau, and  Mr.  Leslie  Stephen — names  surely  sufficient  to 
support  any  one  who  chooses  to  use  the  vocable  in  ques- 
tion. That  it  is  unnecessary  is  not  quite  the  fact ;  at  least 
we  can  hardly  admit  that  its  place  is  already  sufficiently 
occupied  by  trustworthy  or  trusty,  as  is  usually  stated.  '  If 
this  were  true,'  says  Mr.  Hall,  '  inasmuch  as  we  have  trust, 
verb  and  substantive,  there  would  be  no  need  of  rely  and 
reliance ;  they  must  be  wholly  superfluous.  But  we  rely 
where  we  look  for  support ;  we  trust  where  we  apprehend 
no  deception  ;  and  reliable  and  trustworthy  or  trusty,  prop- 
erly employed,  are  no  less  different  than  their  respective 
verbs.  In  corollary  to  this,  rely,  except  metaphorically,  has 
not  a  personal  reference,  whereas  trust  has ;  and  the  best 
writers  who  have  hitherto  practically  accepted  reliable  have 
applied  it  to  things  solely.  That  many  persons  use  reliable 
instead  of  trustworthy  is,  of  course,  no  ground  for  rejecting 
it.'  That  it  is  formed  after  a  somewhat  uncommon  model 
is  also  no  sufficient  ground  for  rejecting  it,  when  we  find 
in  good  use  such  words  as  available,  such  as  one  may  avail 
one's  self  of ;  conversable,  such  as  may  be  conversed  with  ; 
dispensable,  that  may  be  dispensed  with — and  similarly  in- 
dispensable ;  laughable,  worthy  of  being  laughed  at,  and 
sundry  others.  Altogether,  it  seems  too  late  in  the  day  to 
protest  against  the  use  of  the  word  now  ;  those  who  do  not 
like  it  can  let  it  alone  ;  but,  as  Prof.  Whitney  remarks  (the 
quotation  is  from  Mr.  Hall) :  '  We  have  had  to  swallow  too 
many  linguistic  camels,  to  want  to  make  life  more  uncom- 
fortable by  straining  at  such  gnats  as  that.'  " 
Remainder.    See  Balance. 


THE    VERBALIST. 


243 


Remember — Recollect.  The  careless  employ  these 
two  words  as  though  they  were  interchangeable,  yet  each 
has,  properly,  its  distinctive  signification.  "  Do  you  re- 
member what  I  said  to  you  ?  "  "  Can  you  recollect  what  I 
said  to  you  ? "  We  remember  without  effort ;  we  lecollect 
after  some  exertion.  We  should  say,  therefore,  "  I  do  not 
remember,"  and  "  I  can  not  recollect." 

Rendition.  This  word  is  much  misused  for  rendering. 
Example  :  "  The  excellence  of  Mr.  Gilbert's  rendition  of 
certain  characters — Sir  Peter  and  Sir  Antony,  for  instance — 
is  not  equaled,"  etc.  Rendition  means  the  act  of  yielding 
possession,  surrender,  as  the  rendition  of  a  town  or  fortress. 
The  sentence  above  should  read,  "  The  excellence  of  Mr. 
Gilbert's  rendering"  etc.  Rendition  is  also  sometimes  im- 
properly used  for  performance. 

Repetition.  Many  writers  are  studious  to  avoid  re- 
peating words,  and  always  use  a  synonym  if  they  can  find 
one.  Instances  are  met  with  in  which  Shakespeare's  dic- 
tion would  be  better  had  he  re-used  words  already  employed. 
Here  is  one : 

"  Speak  the  speech,  I  pray  you,  as  I  pronounced  [spoke] 
it  to  you." 

"A  carriage  is  a  wheeled  vehicle  for  carrying  persons, 
in  distinction  from  those  [vehicles]  used  for  transporting 
[carrying]  goods." — Standard  Dictionary. 

"  The  young  people  replied  as  other  lovers  have  done 
[replied]  since  the  world  commenced  [began]." 

"  Grave  doubt  is  expressed  whether  the  new-woman 
movement  may  not  be  a  retrograde  one  [movement]." 

"  You  see  it  is  the  same  principle  as  the  ability  to  tell  a 
man  of  good  habits  from  a  dissipated  person  [man  of  bad 
habits]." 

Often  the  preposition  should  be  repeated  when  it  is  not. 


244 


THE    VERBALIST. 


"  The  finances  of  an  empire  or  [of]  an  individual." — 
Standard  Dictionary. 

Sometimes  the  adjective  should  have  been  repeated. 
Mere  is  an  instance  : 

"  It  is  a  wondrous  thing,  the  human  foot — like  the  human 
hand  ;  even  more  so  [wondrous],  perhaps." 

"It  is  not,  however,  by  what  he  accomplished,  but  by 
what  he  tried  to  do  [accomplish],  and  by  what  he  was,"  etc. 

"  The  appellation  caitiff,  which  implies  at  present,  and 
has  done  so  for  a  long  time,"  etc.  :  read,  "  and  for  a  long  time 
has  implied." 

Replace.  Quite  frequently  used  when  take  the  place  of 
would  better  the  diction. 

"  Nothing  in  London  has  yet  replaced  [taken  the  place 
of]  what  was  the  habitual  society  of  Holland  House." 

"  Tragedy  ceased  with  Rachel  ;  comedy  has  still  Reg- 
nier,  Got,  Provost,  and  Madame  Plessy ;  but  who  is  to 
replace  them  [take  their  places]  ?  " 

"  If  Sydenham  had  to  replace  Locke  [take  the  place  of 
Locke,  or,  take  Locke's  place]  as  family  physician  at  Exeter 
House,  it  is  not  unlikely  that  he  practiced  elsewhere." 

Often  quite  incorrectly  used  instead  of  displace. 

"We  are  sorry  to  see  that  Prof.  Rawlinson  talks  of 
'replacing  the  Handbuch  of  Heeren  by  [with]  a  manual 
conceived  on  the  same  scale.'  The  vulgarism,  '  to  replace 
A  by  [with]  B '  in  the  sense  of  '  to  put  B  in  the  place  of 
A,'  threatens  soon  to  become  as  common  as  those  odious 
expressions,  '  those  sort  of  things,'  and  '  like  I  do.'" — 
Athenaeum. 

Reply.    See  Answer.    See  page  324. 

Reputation.    See  Character. 

Reside.  A  big  word  that  Mr.  Wouldbe  uses  where 
Mr.  Is  uses  the  little  word  live. 


THE    VERBALIST.  245 

Residence.  In  speaking  of  a  man's  domicile,  it  is  not 
only  in  better  taste  but  more  correct  to  use  the  term  house 
than  residence.  A  man  has  a  residence  in  New  York  when 
he  has  lived  here  long  enough  to  have  the  right  to  exercise 
the  franchise  here  ;  and  he  may  have  a  house  in  Fifth 
Avenue  where  he  lives.  People  that  are  live  in  houses  ; 
people  that  mould  be  reside  in  residences.  The  former 
buy  things  ;  the  latter  purchase  them. 

Rest.    See  Balance. 

Restive.  Some  of  the  dictionaries,  Richard  Grant 
White,  and  some  other  writers,  contend  that  this  word, 
when  properly  used,  means  unwilling  to  go,  standing  still 
stubbornly,  obstinate,  stubborn,  and  nothing  else.  In  com- 
bating this  opinion,  Fitz-Edward  Hall  says  :  "  Very  few  in- 
stances, I  apprehend,  can  be  produced  from  our  literature 
of  this  use  of  restive."  Webster  gives  impatient,  uneasy, 
as  a  second  meaning ;  and  this  is  the  sense  in  which  the 
word  is  nearly  always  used. 

The  Standard  Dictionary's  definition  of  restive  is, 
"  Characterized  by  restlessness,  with  impatience  of  control  ; 
moving  restlessly  about ;  fidgety  ;  as,  a  restive  colt ;  the 
noise  made  the  horse  restive." 

Resurrect.  Persons  that  are  at  all  fastidious  in  select- 
ing their  words  will  assuredly  not  use  this  word  in  the 
sense  of  remove  from  the  grave  ;  disinter. 

"Our  correspondent  complains  that  he  has  seen  the 
word  resurrect  in  The  Sun.  If  this  be  so,  it  was  an  error 
that  we  never  noticed,  and  we  now  take  it  back  and  are 
sorry  for  it.  In  so  saying,  we  enjoy  the  high  satisfaction 
peculiar  to  one  who  is  willing  to  confess  his  wrong." — 
N.  Y.  Sun. 

Retire.  It  is  only  the  overnice  that  use  retire  in  the 
sense  of  go  to  bed. 


246  THE    VERBALIST. 

Reverend— Honorable.  Many  persons  are  in  doubt 
whether  they  should  or  should  not  put  the  before  these 
adjectives.  Emphatically,  yes,  they  should.  See  Words 
and  Their  Uses,  by  Richard  Grant  White,  for  a  full  dis- 
cussion of  the  question  ;  also  Good  English,  by  Edward 
S.  Gould. 

Rhetoric.  The  art  that  has  for  its  object  the  render- 
ing of  language  effective  is  called  rhetoric.  Without  some 
study  of  the  art  of  composition  no  one  can  expect  to 
write  well,  or  intelligently  to  judge  the  literary  work  of 
others. 

"  True  ease  in  writing  comes  from  art,  not  chance, 

As  those  move  easiest  who  have  learned  to  dance." 
Ride— Drive.  Fashion,  both  in  England  and  in  this 
country,  says  that  we  must  always  use  drive  when  we 
speak  of  going  out  in  a  carriage,  although  ride  means,  ac- 
cording to  all  the  lexicographers,  "To  be  carried  on  a 
horse  or  other  animal,  or  in  any  kind  of  vehicle  or  car- 
riage." 

"  The  distinction  sought  to  be  made  between  ride  and 
drive,  besides  being  nonsensical,  is  an  aping  of  an  English 
custom  for  which  we  have  no  taste." — The  Examiner. 

Right.  Singularly  enough,  this  word  is  made,  by  some 
people,  to  do  service  for  ought,  in  duty  bound,  under  obli- 
gation to ;  thus,  "  You  had  a  right  to  tell  me,"  meaning, 
"You  should  have  told  me."  "  The  Colonists  contended 
that  they  had  no  right  to  pay  taxes  "  meaning,  "  They  were 
tinder  no  obligation  to  pay  taxes  " — i.  e.,  that  it  was  unjust 
to  tax  them. 

The  use  of  right  in  this  sense  is  offensive  to  all  the 
senses. 

Rolling.  The  use  of  this  participial  adjective  in  the 
sense    of    undulating    is    said    to    be    an    Americanism. 


THE    VERBALIST.  247 

Whether  an  Americanism  or  not,  it  would  seem  to  be 
quite  unobjectionable. 

Rubbers.  This  word,  in  common  with  gums  and  arc- 
tics, is  often,  in  defiance  of  good  taste,  used  for  overshoes. 

Rugged.  The  use  of  this  word  in  the  sense  of  hardy, 
robust,  is  not  sanctioned  by  the  best  usage  ;  it  is  an  Ameri- 
canism. Rugged,  when  properly  used,  means,  rough,  un- 
even, rude,  inharmonious.  What  is  rugged  has  greater 
irregularities  than  what  is  rough. 

Run.  The  imperfect  tense  of  the  verb  to  run  is  ran, 
and  not  run  ;  and  the  past  participle  of  to  run  is  run. 

"  Yesterday,  as  /  ran  to  town,  I  should  have  run  faster 
if  I  had  known  it  was  so  late." 

Sabbath.  This  term  was  first  used  in  English  for 
Sunday,  or  Lord's  Day,  by  the  Puritans.  Nowadays  it  is 
little  used  in  this  sense.     The  word  to  use  is  Sunday. 

Same.  This  word,  like  former  and  latter  and  the  pro- 
nouns, should  be  used  as  sparingly  as  possible.  Here  is  a 
sentence  that  it  weakens  : 

"  What  reformers  of  this  nation  want  is  a  chance  to 
appeal  from  the  sovereign  people,  debauched  by  the  gin- 
mills,  to  the  same  [sovereign]  people  sober." 

The  diction  is  greatly  improved  by  repeating  the  word 
sovereign. 

Sarcasm.  Bain  says  that  sarcasm  is  vituperation  soft- 
ened in  the  outward  expression  by  the  arts  and  figures  of 
disguise — epigram,  innuendo,  irony — and  embellished  with 
the  figures  of  illustration.  Crabb  says  that  sarcasm  is  the 
indulgence  only  of  personal  resentment,  and  is  never  justi- 
fiable. 

Satire.  The  holding  up  to  ridicule  of  the  follies  and 
weaknesses  of  mankind,  by  way  of  rebuke,  is  called  satire. 
Satire  is  general  rather  than  individual,  its  object  being  to 


248  THE    VERBALIST. 

reform  abuses.  A  lampoon,  which  has  been  defined  as  a 
personal  satire,  attacks  the  individual  rather  than  his  fault, 
and  is  intended  to  injure  rather  than  to  reform. 

Said  Sheridan  :  "  Satires  and  lampoons  on  particular 
people  circulate  more  by  giving  copies  in  confidence  to  the 
friends  of  the  parties  than  by  printing  them." 

Satisfy.  This  word  is  often  unnecessarily,  if  not  ab- 
solutely improperly,  used  in  the  sense  of  convince  ;  thus, 
"  The  victim  of  your  wiles  is  clearly  under  fourteen  years  of 
age,  and  the  Court  is  satisfied  that  it  was  your  intention  to 
abandon  the  child  after  you  had  accomplished  your  pur- 
pose." 

Saw.  The  imperfect  tense  of  the  verb  to  see  is  care- 
lessly used  by  good  writers  and  speakers  when  they  should 
use  the  perfect  ;  thus,  "  I  never  saw  anything  like  it  be- 
fore," when  the  meaning  intended  is,  "  I  have  never  [in  all 
my  life]  seen  anything  like  it  before  [i.  e.,  until  now]."  We 
say  properly,  "  I  never  saw  anything  like  it  when  I  was  in 
Paris  "  ;  but  when  the  period  of  time  referred  to  extends 
to  the  time  when  the  statement  is  made,  it  must  be  have 
seen.  Like  mistakes  are  made  in  the  use  of  other  verbs, 
but  they  are  hardly  as  common  ;  yet  we  often  hear  such 
expressions  as,  "  I  was  never  in  Philadelphia,"  "  I  never 
went  to  the  theater  in  my  life,"  instead  of  have  been  in 
Philadelphia,  and  have  gone  to  the  theater.  See  Imper- 
fect Tense  and  Tense. 

Scholar — Pupil.  "  Webster  gives  as  the  first  meaning 
of  scholar,  '  one  who  attends  a  school  ;  one  who  learns  of  a 
teacher';  and  he  further  makes  the  distinction  between 
scholar  and  pupil  as  follows  :  '  A  scholar  is  one  who  is  un- 
der instruction  ;  a  pupil  is  one  who  is  under  the  immediate 
and  personal  care  of  an  instructor.'  Scholar  and  pupil,  al- 
though subject  to  the  distinction  thus  drawn  by  Webster, 


THE    VERBALIST. 


249 


are  nevertheless  given  by  him  as  synonymous.  In  gen- 
eral conversation  they  are  almost  universally  used  as  inter- 
changeable words. 

"  It  would  be  a  reform  in  the  use  of  the  word  if  scholar 
could  be  limited  to  learned  persons,  and  pupil  limited  to 
youths  or  others  under  instruction." — Public  Ledger,  Phila- 
delphia. 

Science.  "  This  word  is  getting  to  be  woefully  misused. 
The  New  York  School  Journal  cries  out  indignantly  be- 
cause '  The  Post  of  this  city  has  discovered  that  education 
is  not  a  science — only  an  art.'  This  the  Journal  calls 
'  belittling  '  education.  A  writer  in  The  Popular  Science 
Monthly  (July,  1891)  says  '  the  science  of  agriculture  must 
always  be  the  mother  of  its  art.'  Three  books  have  been 
published  in  England  recently  having  respectively  the 
titles,  The  Art  and  Science  of  Brewing,  The  Science  and 
Art  of  Butter-making,  and  Science  and  Practice  of  Stock- 
Exchange  Speculation.  Then,  too,  a  prize-fighter  often 
is  said  to  have  more  '  science '  than  his  opponent.  In  all 
these  cases  '  science '  is  applied  to  something  that  is  not 
a  science  but  an  art.  According  to  Webster,  science  is 
'  knowledge  classified  and  made  available,'  and  art  is 
'  the  application  of  knowledge  or  power  to  practical  pur- 
poses.' In  a  word,  science  is  knowing,  art  is  doing. 
Education  is  an  art,  and  it  is  no  more  belittled  by  being 
called  an  art  than  sculpture  or  painting  is.  It  is  to  the 
credit  of  an  art  to  be  largely  based  on  science,  as  education 
is  upon  psychology,  and  modern  agriculture  upon  botany 
and  several  others,  but  confounding  the  one  thing  with  the 
other  should  be  avoided." — Our  Language. 

Score.  No  painstaking  writer  ever  uses  score  as  it  is 
used  in  the  following  sentences:  "Miss  Sadie  Martinot 
scores  a  success  in  the  Passport."  "Col.  Savage,  who 
17 


250 


THE    VERBALIST. 


wrote  My  Official  Wife,  the  dramatization  of  which  scored 
an  immediate  failure,"  etc. — Evening  Sun. 

"  In  carrying  out  this  policy  they  have  scored  [achieved] 
several  marked  successes." — N.  Y.  Tribune. 

"  Mme.  Melba  scored  a  hit  [was  very  successful]  at  the 
Worcester  musical  festival." — Evening  Sun. 

The  man  that  writes  in  this  way  must  have  a  very  mea- 
ger vocabulary. 

Section.  The  use  of  this  word  for  region,  neighbor- 
hood, vicinity,  part  (of  the  town  or  country),  is  said  to  be 
a  Westernism.  A  section  is  a  division  of  the  public  lands 
containing  six  hundred  and  forty  acres. 

Seem — Appear.  Graham,  in  his  English  Synonymes, 
says  of  these  two  words :  "  What  seems  is  in  the  mind  ; 
what  appears  is  external.  Things  appear  as  they  present 
themselves  to  the  eye  ;  they  seem  as  they  are  represented 
to  the  mind.  Things  appear  good  or  bad  as  far  as  we  can 
judge  by  our  senses.  Things  seem  right  or  wrong  as  we 
determine  by  reflection.  Perception  and  sensation  have  to 
do  with  appearing ;  reflection  and  comparison,  with  seem- 
ing. When  things  are  not  what  they  appear,  our  senses 
are  deceived  ;  when  things  are  not  what  they  seem,  our 
judgment  is  at  fault." 

"  No  man  had  ever  a  greater  power  over  himself,  or  was  less 
the  man  he  seemed  to  be,  which  shortly  after  appeared  to  every- 
body, when  he  cared  less  to  keep  on  the  mask." — Clarendon. 

Seldom.  The  using  of  this  adverb  as  an  adjective  is 
archaic. 

"  The  seldom  [rare  or  infrequent]  use  of  it." — Trench. 

"  My  Lord  Duke's  entertainments  were  both  seldom 
[rare  or  infrequent]  and  shabby." — Thackeray. 

Seldom  or  ever.  This  phrase  should  be  "  seldom  if 
ever,"  or  "  seldom  or  never." 


THE    VERBALIST. 


251 


"  I  have  seldom  if  ever  seen  him  "  is  the  equivalent  of 
"  I  have  seldom  seen  him,  if  I  have  ever  seen  him,"  while 
"  I  have  seldom  or  never  seen  him  "  is  the  equivalent  of  "  I 
have  seldom  seen  him,  or  possibly  I  have  never  seen  him." 
Each  of  these  phrases  has  its  meaning  ;  not  so,  however, 
the  phrases  seldom  or  ever  and  rarely  or  ever :  they  are 
meaningless. 

Rarely  or  ever  is  equally  objectionable,  the  correct  lo- 
cution being  rarely  if  ever,  or  rarely  or  never. 

Seraphim.  This  is  the  plural  of  seraph.  "  One  of  the 
seraphim."  "  To  Thee,  cherubim  and  seraphim  continually 
do  cry."     See  Cherubim. 

Set — Sit.  Set  is  often  incorrectly  used  for  sit.  To 
set ;  imperfect  tense,  set ;  participles,  setting,  set.  To  sit ; 
imperfect  tense,  sat ;  participles,  sitting,  sat.  To  set,  means, 
to  put,  to  place,  to  plant  ;  to  put  in  any  place,  condition, 
state,  or  posture.  We  say,  to  set  about,  to  set  against,  to 
set  out,  to  set  going,  to  set  apart,  to  set  aside,  to  set  down 
(to  put  in  writing).  To  sit,  means,  to  rest  on  the  lower 
part  of  the  body,  to  repose  on  a  seat,  to  perch,  as  a  bird, 
etc.  We  say,  "  Sit  up  " — i.  e.,  rise  from  lying  to  sit- 
ting;  "We  will  sit  up" — i.  e.,  will  not  go  to  bed;  "Sit 
down  " — i.  e.,  place  yourself  on  a  seat.  We  sit  a  horse  and 
we  sit  for  a  portrait.  Garments  sit  well  or  otherwise. 
Congress  sits,  so  does  a  court.  "  I  have  sat  up  long 
enough."  "  I  have  set  it  on  the  table."  We  set  down 
figures,  but  we  sit  down  on  the  ground.  We  set  a  hen,  and 
a  hen  sits  on  eggs.  We  should  say,  therefore,  "  As  cross  as 
a  sitting-  [not,  as  a  setting]  hen." 

Setback.  "  They  are,  however,  met  at  the  outset  with 
some  discouraging  setbacks." — N.  Y.  Times. 

Since  we  place  the  adverb  first  in  all  such  com- 
pound  words   as    outset,    inset,    upset,    outcast,    outcome, 


252 


THE    VERBALIST. 


and   the  like,  why  should  we  not  do  likewise  with  back- 
sell 

Settle.  This  word  is  often  inelegantly,  if  not  incor- 
rectly, used  for  pay.  We  pay  our  way,  pay  our  fare,  pay 
our  hotel  bills,  and  the  like.     See  also  Locate. 

Shall  and  Will.  The  nice  distinctions  that  should  be 
made  between  these  two  auxiliaries  are,  in  some  parts  of 
the  English-speaking  world,  often  disregarded,  and  that, 
too,  by  persons  of  high  culture.  The  proper  use  of  shall 
and  will  can  much  better  be  learned  from  example  than 
from  precept.  Many  persons  that  use  them,  and  also  should 
and  would,  with  well-nigh  unerring  correctness,  do  so  un- 
consciously ;  it  is  simply  habit  with  them,  and  they,  though 
their  culture  may  be  limited,  will  receive  a  sort  of  verbal 
shock  from  Biddy's  inquiry,  "  Will  I  put  the  kettle  on, 
ma'am  ?  "  when  your  Irish  or  Scotch  countess  would  not  be 
in  the  least  disturbed  by  it. 

Shall,  in  an  affirmative  sentence,  in  the  first  person, 
and  will,  in  the  second  and  third  persons,  merely  announce 
future  actio?!.  Thus,  "I  shall  go  to  town  to-morrow." 
"  I  shall  not ;  I  shall  wait  for  better  weather."  "  We  shall 
be  glad  to  see  you."  "  I  shall  soon  be  twenty."  "  We  shall 
set  out  early,  and  shall  try  to  arrive  by  noon."  "  You  will 
be  pleased."  "  You  will  soon  be  twenty."  "  You  will  find 
him  honest."     "  He  will  go  with  us." 

SHALL,  in  an  affirmative  sentence,  in  the  second  and  third 
persons,  announces  the  speaker  s  intention  to  control.  Thus, 
"You  shall  hear  me  out."  "You  shall  go,  sick  or  well." 
"  He  shall  be  my  heir."  "  They  shall  go,  whether  they 
want  to  go  or  not." 

Will,  in  the  first  person,  expresses  a  promise,  announces 
the  speaker's  intention  to  control,  proclaims  a  determination. 
Thus,  "  1  will  [I  promise  to]  assist  you."      "  I  will  [I  am 


THE    VERBALIST. 


^53 


determined  to]  have  my  right."    "  We  will  [we  promise  to] 
come  to  you  in  the  morning." 

Shall,  in  an  interrogative  sentence,  in  the  first  and  third 
persons,  consults  the  "will  or  judgment  of  another ;  in  the 
second  person,  it  inquires  concerning  the  intention  or  future 
action  of  another.  Thus,  "Shall  I  go  with  you  ?  "  "  When 
shall  we  see  you  again?"  "When  shall  I  receive  it?" 
"  When  shall  I  get  well  ?  "  "  When  shall  we  get  there  ?  " 
"  Shall  he  come  with  us?"  "  Shall  you  demand  indem- 
nity ?  "  "Shall  you  go  to  town  to-morrow?"  "  What 
shall  you  do  about  it  ?  " 

Will,  in  an  interrogative  sentence,  in  the  second  person, 
asks  concerning  the  wish,  and,  in  the  third  person,  concern- 
ing the  purpose  or  future  action  of  others.  Thus,  "Will 
you  have  an  apple?"  "Will  you  go  with  me  to  my 
uncle's?"  "Will  he  be  of  the  party?"  "Will  they  be 
willing  to  receive  us?  "     "  When  will  he  be  here?" 

Will  can  not  be  used  interrogatively  in  the  first  person 
singular  or  plural.  We  can  not  say,  "  Will  I  go  ?  "  "  Will 
I  help  you?"  "  Will  I  be  late  ?"  "  Will  we  get  there  in 
time  ?  "     "  Will  we  see  you  again  soon  ?  " 

Official  courtesy,  in  order  to  avoid  the  semblance  of 
compulsion,  conveys  its  commands  in  the  you-will  form 
instead  of  the  strictly  grammatical  you-shall  form.  It  says, 
for  example.  "  You  will  proceed  to  Key  West,  where  you 
will  find  further  instructions  awaiting  vou." 

A  clever  writer  on  the  use  of  shall  and  will  says  that 
whatever  concerns  one's  beliefs,  hopes,  fears,  likes,  or  dis- 
likes, can  not  be  expressed  in  conjunction  with  /  will.  Are 
there  no  exceptions  to  this  rule?  If  I  say,  "  I  think  I  shall 
go  to  Philadelphia  to-morrow,"  I  convey  the  impression  that 
my  going  depends  upon  circumstances  beyond  my  control  ; 
but  if  I  say,  "  I  think  I  will  go  to  Philadelphia  to-morrow," 


254  THE    VERBALIST. 

I  convey  the  impression  that  my  going  depends  upon  circum- 
stances within  my  control — that  my  going  or  not  depends 
on  mere  inclination.  We  certainly  must  say,  "  I  fear  that 
I  shall  lose  it  "  ;  "  I  hope  that  I  shall  be  well "  ;  "I  believe 
that  I  shall  have  the  ague  "  ;  "I  hope  that  I  shall  not  be 
left  alone  "  ;  "I  fear  that  we  shall  have  bad  weather  "  ;  "  I 
shall  dislike  the  country"  ;  "  I  shalllike  the  performance." 
The  writer  referred  to  asks,  "How  can  one  say,  'I  will 
have  the  headache'?"  I  answer,  "Very  easily,  as  every 
young  woman  knows.  Let  us  see :  '  Mary,  you  know  you 
promised  John  to  drive  out  with  him  to-morrow  ;  how  shall 
you  get  out  of  it?'  'Oh,  I  will  have  the  headache!'" 
We  request  that  people  will  do  thus  or  so,  and  not  that 
they  shall.  Thus,  "  It  is  requested  that  no  one  will  leave 
the  room." 

Shall  is  rarely,  if  ever,  used  for  will ;  it  is  will  that  is 
used  for  shall.  Expressions  like  the  following  are  com- 
mon :  "  Where  will  you  be  next  week?  "  "  I  will  be  at 
home."  "  We  will  have  dinner  at  six  o'clock."  "  How 
will  you  go  about  it  ?  "  "  When  will  you  begin  ?  "  "  When 
will  you  set  out  ?  "  "  What  will  you  do  with  it  ?  "  In  all 
such  expressions,  when  it  is  a  question  of  mere  future  action 
on  the  part  of  the  person  speaking  or  spoken  to,  the  auxil- 
iary must  be  shall,  and  not  will. 

Should  and  would  follow  the  regimen  of  shall  and  will. 
Would  is  often  used  for  should ;  should  rarely  for  would. 
Correct  speakers  say,  "  I  should  go  to  town  to-morrow  if 
I  had  a  horse."  "  I  should  not  ;  I  should  wait  for  better 
weather."  "We  should  be  glad  to  see  you."  "  We  should 
have  started  earlier  if  the  weather  had  been  clear."  "  I 
should  like  to  go  to  town,  and  would  go  if  I  could."  "  I 
'Mould  assist  you  if  I  could."  "  I  should  have  been  ill  if  I 
had  gone."    "I  would  I  were  home  again!"    "I  should 


THE    VERBALIST.  255 

go  fishing  to-day  if  I  were  home."  "  I  should  so  like  to  go 
to  Europe  !  "  "I  should  prefer  to  see  it  first."  "  I  should 
be  delighted."  "  I  should  be  glad  to  have  you  sup  with 
me."  "  I  knew  that  I  should  be  ill."  "  I  feared  that  I 
should  lose  it."  "I  hoped  that  I  should  see  him."  "I 
thought  I  should  have  the  ague."  "  I  hoped  that  I  should 
not  be  left  alone."  "  I  was  afraid  that  we  should  have  bad 
weather."  "I  knew  I  should  dislike  the  country."  "I 
should  not  like  to  do  it,  and  will  not  [determination]  unless 
compelled  to." 

In  indirect  discourse,  will  is  much  misused  for  shall  ; 
-would  much  misused  for  should.  Indeed,  it  is  safe  to  say 
that  in  indirect  discourse  the  auxiliaries  are  commonly  mis- 
used.    See  Will — Would. 

Shimmy.  "  We  derive  from  the  French  language  our 
word  chemise — pronounced  shemmceze.  In  French,  the 
word  denotes  a  man's  shirt,  as  well  as  the  under  garment 
worn  by  women.  In  this  country  it  is  often  pronounced 
by  people  who  should  know  better,  shimmy.  Rather  than 
call  it  shimmy,  resume  the  use  of  the  old  English  words 
shift  and  smock.  Good  usage  unqualifiedly  condemns 
gents,  pants,  kids,  gums,  and  shimmy." — Vulgarisms  and 
Other  Errors  of  Speech. 

Shire.  This  word  means  a  territorial  division,  and  is 
the  equivalent  of  county.  We  should  therefore  say,  as  the 
English  always  do,  "  The  county  of  York  or  of  Berks,"  and 
not  "  of  Yorkshire  or  of  Berkshire,"  which  is  pleonastic. 

Should.     See  Ought. 

Sick — 111.  These  words  are  often  used  indiscriminately. 
Sick,  however,  is  the  stronger  word,  and  ordinarily  the  bet- 
ter word  to  use.  ///  is  used  in  England  more  than  with 
us :  there,  sick  is  commonly  limited  to  the  expressing  of 
nausea  ;  as,  "  sick  at  the  stomach," 


256  THE    VERBALIST. 

Signature,  over  or  under  ?  A  man  writes  under,  not 
over,  a  signature.  Charles  Dickens  wrote  under  the  signa- 
ture of  "  Boz  "  ;  Mr.  Samuel  L.  Clemens  writes  under  the 
signature  of  "  Mark  Twain." 

The  reason  given  in  Webster's  Dictionary  for  preferring 
the  use  of  under  is  absurd — viz.,  that  the  paper  is  tinder 
the  hand  in  writing.  The  expression  is  elliptical,  and  has 
no  reference  to  the  position  either  of  the  signature  or  of 
the  paper.  "  Given  under  my  hand  and  seal "  means 
"  under  the  guarantee  of  my  signature  and  my  seal." 
"  Under  his  own  signature  "  or  "  name  "  means  "  under  his 
own  character,  without  disguise."  "  Under  the  signature 
of  Boz  "  means  "  under  the  disguise  of  the  assumed  name 
Boz."  We  always  write  under  a  certain  date,  though  the 
date  be  placed,  as  it  often  is,  at  the  bottom  of  the  page. 

Signs.  In  one  of  the  principal  business  streets  of  New 
York  there  is  a  sign  that  reads,  "  German  Lace  Store." 
Now,  whether  this  is  a  store  that  makes  a  specialty  of  Ger- 
man laces,  or  whether  it  is  a  store  where  all  kinds  of  lace 
are  sold,  kept  by  a  German  or  after  the  German  fashion,  is 
something  that  the  sign  doubtless  means  to  tell  us,  but, 
owing  to  the  absence  of  a  hyphen  ("  German-Lace  Store," 
or  "  German  Lace-Store  "),  does  not  tell  us.  Nothing  is 
more  common  than  erroneous  punctuation  in  signs,  and 
gross  mistakes  by  the  unlettered  in  the  wording  of  the  sim- 
plest printed  matter. 

The  bad  taste,  incorrect  punctuation,  false  grammar, 
and  ridiculous  nonsense  met  with  on  signs  and  placards, 
and  in  advertisements,  are  really  surprising.  An  advertise- 
ment tells  us  that  "  A  pillow  that  assists  in  procuring  sleep 
is  a  benediction  "  ;  a  placard,  that  they  have  "  Charlotte  de 
Russe  "  for  sale  within,  which  means,  if  it  means  anything, 
that  they  have  for  sale  somebody  or  something  called  Char- 


THE    VERBALIST. 


257 


lotte  of  Russian  ;  and,  then,  on  how  many  signs  do  we  see 
the  possessive  case  when  the  plural  number  is  intended ! 

Simile.  In  rhetoric,  a  direct  and  formal  comparison  is 
called  a  simile.  It  is  ordinarily  denoted  by  like,  as,  or 
so  ;  as, 

"  I  have  ventured, 
Like  little  wanton  boys  that  swim  on  bladders, 
These  many  summers  in  a  sea  of  glory." 
"  Thy  smile  is  as  the  dawn  of  vernal  day." — Shakespeare. 
"  As,  down  in  the  sunless  retreats  of  the  ocean, 

Sweet  flow'rets  are  springing  no  mortal  can  see  ; 
So,  deep  in  my  bosom,  the  prayer  of  devotion, 
Unheard  by  the  world,  rises  silent  to  thee." — Moore. 
"  'Tis  with  our  judgments  as  with  our  watches  :  none 

Go  just  alike,  yet  each  believes  his  own." — Pope. 
"  Grace  abused  brings  forth  the  foulest  deeds, 
As  richest  soil  the  most  luxuriant  weeds." — Cowper. 
"  As  no  roads  are  so  rough  as  those  that  have  just  been 
mended,  so  no  sinners  are  so  intolerant  as  those  who  [that] 
have  just  turned  saints." — Lacon. 

Simply.  Inelegant  usage  frequently  makes  this  word 
do  duty  nowadays  for  really,  absolutely,  etc. 

"  The  amount  of  noise  made  over  Mr.  Matthew  Arnold 
and  his  opinions  upon  America  are  so  utterly  dispropor- 
tionate to  the  importance  of  the  gentleman,  that  they 
become  simply  ridiculous,  and,  to  a  certain  extent,  nause- 
ating." 

"The  vegetation  of  the  island  is  simply  magnificent, 
everything  appearing  to  grow  spontaneously." 

"  His  elocution  is  simply  delightful,  as  a  fine  accom- 
plishment." 

Sin.    See  Crime. 

Since — Ago.     Dr.  Johnson  says  of  these  two  adverbs : 


258  THE    VERBALIST. 

"  Reckoning  time  toward  the  present,  we  use  since  ;  as,  '  It 
'  is  a  year  since  it  happened.'  Reckoning  from  the  present, 
we  use  ago  ;  as,  'It  is  a  year  ago.'  This  is  not,  perhaps, 
always  observed." 

Dr.  Johnson's  rule  will  hardly  suffice  as  a  sure  guide. 
Since  is  often  used  for  ago,  but  ago  never  for  since.  Ago 
is  derived  from  the  participle  agone,  while  since  comes  from 
a  preposition.  We  say  properly,  "not  long"  or  "some 
time  ago  [agone]." 

In  the  following  sentences  since  should  in  every  instance 
be  ago : 

"Traveling  in  Italy  Forty  Years  Since." 

"At  a  wedding  not  long  since  among  the  presents  dis- 
played was  a  $10,000  bank  note  from  the  father  of  the 
bride." 

"  I  left  my  wife  here  when  I  sailed  for  England,  six 
months  since,"  remarked  Mr.  Burton. 

"  We  noticed,  some  weeks  since,  the  fashion  of  trimming 
ladies'  hats  with  the  heads  of  kittens." 

Since  requires  an  object,  a  clause  after  it,  thus  :  "  Since 
then";  "since  that  time";  "  since  I  saw  you"  ;  "since/ 
heard  from  him  last  "  ;  "  there  has  been  nothing  done 
about  it  since  you  were  here." 

"  Theo  and  Judic  are  both  widows  now.  About  a 
month  ago  M.  Judic  '  went  over  to  the  majority '  [very 
offensive  slang],  and  a  couple  [a  few]  of  days  since  [ago] 
M.  Theo  followed,"  etc. — Evening  Telegram. 

Since  ■when.  Often  heard  when  the  proper  locution 
is,  "  Since  that  time,"  or  "  Since  what  time?  "  according  to 
the  meaning. 

Sing.  Of  the  two  forms — sang  and  sung — for  the  im- 
perfect tense  of  the  verb  to  sing,  the  former — sang — is  to 
be  preferred. 


THE    VERBALIST. 


259 


Single.     This  word  is  frequently  used  superfluously. 

"  He  [Li  Hung  Chang]  is  known  to  have  amassed  a 
colossal  fortune,  reputed  by  many  to  be  the  largest  pos- 
sessed by  any  single  individual  in  the  world." — London 
Times.  The  word  individual  unaided  conveys  the  idea  of 
oneness. 

Slander.     See  Asperse. 

Slang.  The  slang  that  is  heard  among  respectable  peo- 
ple is  made  of  genuine  words,  to  which  an  arbitrary  mean- 
ing is  given.  It  is  always  low,  commonly  coarse,  and  not 
unfrequently  foolish.  With  the  exception  of  cant,  there  is 
nothing  that  is  more  to  be  shunned.  We  sometimes  meet 
with  persons  of  considerable  culture  that  interlard  their  talk 
with  slang  expressions,  but  it  is  safe  to  assert  that  they  are 
always  persons  of  coarse  natures. 

Smart.     See  Clever. 

Smash.  Here  is  a  use  of  the  verb  to  smash  that  will 
be  relished  by  lovers  of  slang  :  "  It  is  likely  that  those 
figures  will  be  smashed  at  the  Cambridge-Yale  meeting." — 
N.  Y.  Evening  Sun. 

Smell  of.     See  Taste  of. 

So.     See  As ;  Such  ;  That. 

Sobriquet.  Very  often  misspelled  ;  thus,  jvwbriquet, 
which  is  wholly  unauthorized. 

Solecism.  In  rhetoric,  a  solecism  is  defined  as  an 
offense  against  the  rules  of  grammar  by  the  use  of  words  in 
a  wrong  construction  ;  false  syntax. 

"  Modern  grammarians  designate  by  solecism  any  word 
or  expression  which  [that]  does  not  agree  with  the  estab- 
lished usage  of  writing  or  speaking.  But,  as  customs  change, 
what  at  one  time  is  considered  a  solecism  may  at  another 
time  be  regarded  as  correct.  A  solecism,  therefore,  differs 
from  a  barbarism,  inasmuch  as  the  latter  consists  in  the 


260  THE    VERBALIST. 

use  of  a  word  or  expression  which  [that]  is  altogether  con- 
trary to  the  spirit  of  the  language,  and  can,  properly  speak- 
ing, never  become  established  as  correct." — Penny  Cyclo- 
pedia.    See  also  Barbarism. 

So  much  so.  "  The  shipments  by  the  coast  steamers 
are  very  large,  so  much  so  [large  ?]  as  to  tax  the  capacity  of 
the  different  lines."  The  sentence  should  be,  "The  ship- 
ments by  the  coast  steamers  are  very  large,  so  large  as  to 
tax,"  etc. 

"  He  was  very  much  excited  and  exceedingly  drunk,  so 
much  so  [drunk]  that  he  had  got  a  lady  to  bring  him 
home." 

"  The  summer  is  very  rainy,  and  the  rest  of  the  year 
is  very  dry,  so  much  so  [dry]  that  the  grass  turns  into 
dust." 

"  Her  individuality,  indeed,  is  very  striking  ;  so  much 
so  [striking]  that  her  friends,"  etc. 

"  He  was  sick,  but  not  so  much  so  [sick]  as  he  thought." 

This  is  certainly  a  locution  to  be  avoided. 

Some.  Often  misused  for  somewhat ;  thus,  "  She  is 
some  better  "  ;  "  He  is  some  wiser  for  his  experience  "  ;  "I  am 
some  stronger  than  I  was."  In  these  examples  some,  it  will 
be  seen,  is  used  as  an  adverb,  which  it  properly  never  is. 
"  To  English  ears,"  says  Proctor,  "  an  American  use  of  the 
word  some  sounds  strange — viz.,  as  an  adverb.  An  Ameri- 
can will  say,  "  I  think  some  of  buying  a  house,"  or  the  like, 
for  "  I  have  some  idea  of  buying,"  etc. 

Something.  This  word  and  anything  are  not  inter- 
changeable, though  many  writers  seem  to  think  they  are. 
Something  is  restrictive,  is  particular,  exclusive,  while  any- 
thing is  general,  unlimited. 

"  Something  (not  everything)  which  [that]  is  owed  or 
rightfully  required  is  said  to  be  due." — Standard  Dictionary. 


THE    VERBALIST.  26 1 

Not  so.  Anything  (no  matter  what)  owed  or  rightfully 
required  is  said  to  be  due. 

"A  circumstance  is  something  [anything]  existing  or 
occurring  incidentally  to  some  other  fact  or  event." — Stand- 
ard Dictionary. 

Specialty.  This  form  has  within  a  recent  period  been 
generally  substituted  for  speciality.  There  is  no  apparent 
reason,  however,  why  the  i  should  be  dropped,  since  it  is 
required  by  the  etymology  of  the  word,  and  is  retained  in 
nearly  all  other  words  of  the  same  formation. 

Specious  Fallacy.  A  fallacy  is  a  sophism,  a  logical 
artifice,  a  deceitful  or  false  appearance  ;  while  specious 
means  having  the  appearance  of  truth,  plausible.  Hence 
we  see  that  the  very  essence  of  a  fallacy  is  its  specious- 
ness.  We  may  very  properly  say  that  a  fallacy  is  more  or 
less  specious,  but  we  can  not  properly  say  that  a  fallacy 
is  specious,  since  without  speciousness  we  can  have  no  fal- 
lacies. 

Splendid.  This  poor  word  is  used  by  the  gentler  sex 
to  qualify  well-nigh  everything  that  has  their  approval, 
from  a  sugarplum  to  the  national  capitol.  In  fact,  splen- 
did and  awful  seem  to  be  about  the  only  adjectives  some 
of  our  superlative  young  women  have  in  their  vocabula- 
ries. 

Standpoint.  This  is  a  word  to  which  many  students 
of  English  seriously  object,  and  among  them  are  the  edi- 
tors of  some  of  our  daily  papers,  who  do  not  allow  it  to 
appear  in  their  columns.  The  phrase  to  which  no  one  ob- 
jects is,  point  of  view. 

"  No  doubt  an  improvement  on  point  of  view,  as  being 
a  closer  and  therefore  a  more  convenient  expression." — 
Graham. 

"  Standpoint,  besides  being  convenient  as  a  single  word, 


262  THE    VERBALIST. 

conveys  a  suggestion  not  carried  by  point  of  view." — 
Standard  Dictionary. 

State.  This  word  means :  To  express  the  particulars 
of,  in  writing  or  in  words  ;  to  set  down  or  set  forth  in  de- 
tail, or  in  gross  ;  to  place  in  mental  view,  or  represent  all 
the  circumstances  of  modification  ;  to  make  known  spe- 
cifically ;  to  explain  particularly ;  yet  it  is  often  used  when 
the  meaning  intended  is  simply  that  of  say.  When  say  says 
all  one  wishes  to  say,  why  use  a  more  pretentious  word  ? 

"  The  late  Chunder  Sen  stated  on  various  occasions 
[often  said]  that  he  had  [omit]  learned  to  write  and  speak 
our  language  with  such  terse  felicity  because  of  an  almost 
exclusive  study  of  the  writers  of  Queen  Anne's  time."  A 
very  bad  sentence  altogether.  Learn  because  of  a  study 
of ! !     It  is  from  The  Independent. 

"  We  have  already  stated  our  objections  to  the  Repub- 
lican ticket,  but  these  objections  do  not  make  us  Demo- 
crats."    Here  is  a  correct  use  of  the  word. 

"  It  is  stated  [said]  that  William  Thaw,  of  Pittsburg,  is 
worth  $25,000,000." 

"  The  five  Aronson  directors  and  the  four  McCaull 
ones  [directors]  parted  apparently  on  pleasant  [friendly] 
terms,  and  the  meeting  was  stated  [is  said]  by  Mr.  Aron- 
son to  have  been  harmonious." 

Stent.  Though  very  often  heard  in  conversation,  this 
word  is  barely  recognized  by  the  dictionaries.  The  proper 
word  to  use  is  stint. 

Stop.  "  Where  are  you  stopping?  "  "  At  the  Metropoli- 
tan." The  proper  word  to  use  here  is  staying.  To  stop 
means  to  cease  to  go  forward,  to  leave  off;  and  to  stay 
means  to  abide,  to  tarry,  to  dwell,  to  sojourn.  We  stay, 
not  stop,  at  home,  at  a  hotel,  or  with  a  friend,  as  the  case 
may  be. 


THE    VERBALIST.  263 

Storm.  Many  persons  indulge  in  a  careless  use  of  this 
word,  using  it  when  they  mean  to  say  simply  that  it  rains 
or  snows.  To  a  storm  a  violent  commotion  of  the  atmos- 
phere is  indispensable.  A  very  high  wind  constitutes  a 
storm,  though  it  be  dry. 

Straightway.  Here  is  a  good  Anglo-Saxon  word  of 
two  syllables  whose  place,  without  any  good  reason,  is 
being  usurped  by  the  Latin  word  immediately,  of  five  syl- 
lables. 

Street.  We  live  in,  not  on — meet  our  acquaintances 
in,  not  on — things  occur  in,  not  on — houses  are  built  in, 
not  on,  the  street,  and  so  forth. 

Stricken.  The  form  now  preferred  for  the  past  parti- 
ciple of  strike  is  stmck,  in  such  sentences  as  "  The  objec- 
tionable words  were  ordered  to  be  struck  [not  stricken] 
out."  When  misfortune  is  implied,  the  older  form,  stricken, 
is  still  used  :  "  He  was  stricken  with  a  fever." 

Style.  This  is  a  term  that  is  used  to  characterize  the 
peculiarities  that  distinguish  a  writer  or  a  composition. 
Correctness  and  clearness  properly  belong  to  the  domain  of 
diction ;  simplicity,  conciseness,  gravity,  elegance,  diffuse- 
ness,  floridity,  force,  feebleness,  coarseness,  etc.,  belong  to 
the  domain  of  style. 

Subjunctive  Mood.  This  mood  is  unpopular  with  not 
a  few  nowaday  grammarians.  One  says  that  it  is  rapidly 
falling  into  disuse  ;  that,  in  fact,  there  is  good  reason  to 
suppose  it  will  soon  become  obsolete.  Another  says  that 
it  would  perhaps  be  better  to  abolish  it  entirely,  as  its  use 
is  a  continual  source  of  dispute  among  grammarians  and  of 
perplexity  to  schools.  Another  says  that  it  is  a  universal 
stumbling-block  ;  that  nobody  seems  to  understand  it,  al- 
though almost  everybody  attempts  to  use  it. 

That  the  subjunctive  mood  is  much  less  used  now  than 


264  THE    VERBALIST. 

it  was  a  hundred  years  ago  is  certain,  but  that  it  is  obso- 
lescent is  very  far  from  certain.  It  would  not  be  easy,  I 
think,  to  find  a  single  contemporary  writer  that  does  not 
use  it.  That  it  is  not  always  easy  to  determine  what  form 
of  it  we  should  employ,  is  very  true  ;  but  if  we  are  justified 
in  abolishing  it  altogether,  as  Mr.  Chandler  suggests,  be- 
cause its  correct  use  is  not  always  easy,  then  we  are  also 
justified  in  abolishing  the  use  of  shall  and  will,  and  of  the 
prepositions,  for  surely  their  right  use  is  likewise  at  times 
most  puzzling.  Meanwhile,  most  persons  will  think  it  well 
to  learn  to  use  the  subjunctive  mood  properly.  With  that 
object  in  view,  one  can  not  perhaps  do  better  than  to  at- 
tend to  what  Dr.  Alexander  Bain,  Professor  of  Logic  in  the 
University  of  Aberdeen,  says  upon  the  subject.  In  Professor 
Bain's  Higher  English  Grammar  we  find  : 

"  In  subordinate  clauses. — In  a  clause  expressing  a  con- 
dition, and  introduced  by  a  conjunction  of  condition,  the 
verb  is  sometimes,  but  not  always,  in  the  subjunctive  mood  : 
'  If  I  be  able,'  '  If  I  were  strong  enough,'  '  If  thou  should 
come.' 

"  The  subjunctive  inflections  have  been  wholly  lost.  The 
sense  that  something  is  wanting  appears  to  have  led  many 
writers  to  use  indicative  forms  where  the  subjunctive  might 
be  expected.  The  tendency  appears  strongest  in  the  case 
of  '  wert,'  which  is  now  used  as  indicative  (for  '  wast ')  only 
in  poetical  or  elevated  language. 

"  The  following:  is  the  rule  given  for  the  use  of  the  sub- 
junctive  mood  : 

"  When  in  a  conditional  clause  it  is  intended  to  express 
doubt  or  denial,  use  the  subjunctive  mood.*  '  If  I  were 
sure  of  what  you  tell  me,  I  should  go.' 

"  When  the  conditional  clause  is  affirmative  and  certain, 

*  "Dr.  Angus  on  The  English  Tongue,  art.  527." 


THE    VERBALIST.  265 

the  verb  is  indicative  :  '  If  that  is  the  case  '  (as  you  now  tell 
me,  and  as  I  believe),  '  I  can  understand  you.'  This  is 
equivalent  to  a  clause  of  assumption,  or  supposition  :  '  That 
being  the  case,'  '  Inasmuch  as  that  is  the  case,'  etc. 

"  As  futurity  is  by  its  nature  uncertain,  the  subjunctive 
is  extensively  used  for  future  conditionality  :  '  If  it  rain,  we 
shall  not  be  able  to  go '  ;  '  If  I  be  well '  ;  'If  he  come  short- 
ly '  ;  'If  thou  return  at  all  in  peace '  ;  /  Though  he  slay  me, 
yet  will  I  trust  in  him.'  These  events  are  all  in  the  un- 
certain future,  and  are  put  in  the  subjunctive.* 

"  A  future  result  or  consequence  is  expressed  by  the 
subjunctive  in  such  instances  as  these  :  '  I  will  wait  till  he 
return  ' ;  '  No  fear  lest  dinner  cool'  \  '  Thou  shalt  stone  him 
with  stones,  that  he  die  ' ;  '  Take  heed  lest  at  any  time  your 
hearts  be  overcharged  with  surfeiting.' 

"  Uncertainty  as  to  a  past  event  may  arise  from  our 
own  ignorance,  in  which  case  the  subjunctive  is  properly 
employed,  and  serves  the  useful  purpose  of  distinguishing 
our  ignorance  from  our  knowledge.     '  If  any  of  my  readers 

*  "  In  the  following  passages  the  indicative  mood  would  be  more 
suitable  than  the  subjunctive  :  '  If  thou  be  the  Son  of  God,  command 
that  these  stones  be  made  bread '  ;  'If  thou  be  the  Son  of  God,  come 
down  from  the  cross  '  ;  for,  although  the  address  was  not  sincere  on 
the  part  of  the  speakers,  they  really  meant  to  make  the  supposition  or 
to  grant  that  he  was  the  Son  of  God  ;  '  seeing  that  thou  art  the  Son 
of  God.'  Likewise  in  the  following:  '  Now  if  Christ  be  preached,  that 
He  rose  from  the  dead,  how  say  some  among  you  that  there  is  no  res- 
urrection from  the  dead  ?  '  The  meaning  is,  '  Seeing  now  that  Christ 
is  preached.'  In  the  continuation,  the  conditional  clauses  are  of  a  dif- 
ferent character,  and  '  be  '  is  appropriate  :  '  Eut  if  there  be  no  resur- 
rection from  the  dead,  then  is  Christ  not  risen  ;  and  if  Christ  be  not 
risen,  then  is  our  preaching  vain,  and  your  faith  is  also  vain.'  Again, 
'  If  thou  bring  thy  gift  to  the  altar,  and  there  remembers/,'  etc.  Con- 
sistency and  correctness  require  'remember.'"  —  Harrison  on  The 
English  Language,  p.  287. 

18 


266  THE    VERBALIST. 

has  looked  with  so  little  attention  upon  the  world  around 
him  ' ;  this  would  mean — '  as  I  know  that  they  have.'  The 
meaning  intended  is  probably — '  as  I  do  not  know  whether 
they  have  or  not,'  and  therefore  the  subjunctive  'have'  is 
preferable.  '  If  ignorance  is  bliss,'  which  I  (ironically) 
admit.  Had  Pope  been  speaking  seriously,  he  would  have 
said,  '  If  ignorance  be  bliss,'  he  himself  dissenting  from  the 
proposition. 

"A  wish  contrary  to  the  fact  takes  the  subjunctive  :  '  I 
wish  he  were  here '  (which  he  is  not). 

"An  intention  not  yet  carried  out  is  also  subjunctive: 
'  The  sentence  is  that  you  be  imprisoned.' 

"  The  only  correct  form  of  the  future  subjunctive  is, 
1  If  I  should.'  We  may  say,  '  I  do  not  knew  whether  or 
not  I  shall  come  '  ;  but  '  If  I  shall  come,'  expressing  a  con- 
dition, is  not  an  English  construction.  '  If  he  will '  has'a 
real  meaning,  as  being  the  present  subjunctive  of  the  verb 
'  will ' :  '  If  he  be  willing,'  '  If  he  have  the  will."  It  is  in 
accordance  with  good  usage  to  express  a  future  subjunctive 
meaning  by  a  present  tense  ;  but  in  that  case  the  form  must 
be  strictly  subjunctive,  and  not  indicative.  '  If  any  mem- 
ber absents  himself,  he  shall  forfeit  a  penny  for  the  use  of 
the  club ' ;  this  ought  to  be  either  '  absent,'  or  '  should 
absent.'  '  If  thou  neglectest  or  doest  unwillingly  what  I  com- 
mand thee,  I  will  rack  thee  with  old  cramps  ' ;  better,  '  If 
thou  neglect  or  do  unwillingly,'  or  '  If  thou  should  neglect.' 
The  indicative  would  be  justified  by  the  speaker's  belief 
that  the  supposition  is  sure  to  turn  out  to  be  the  fact. 

"  The  past  subjunctive  may  imply  denial  ;  as,  '  If  the 
book  were  in  the  library  (as  it  is  not),  it  should  be  at  your 
service.' 

"  '  If  the  book  be  in  the  library,'  means,  '  I  do  not  know 
whether  it  be  or  not.'     We  have  thus  the  power  of  dis- 


THE    VERBALIST.  267 

criminating  three  different  suppositions.  '  If  the  book  is 
in  the  library  '  (as  I  know  it  is)  ;  'If  it  be '  (I  am  uncertain) ; 
'  If  it  were'  (as  I  know  it  is  not).  So,  '  If  it  rains,'  '  If  it 
rain,'  '  If  it  rained.'  '  Nay,  and  the  villains  march  wide 
between  the  legs,  as  if  they  had  gyves  on,'  implying  that 
they  had  not. 

"  The  same  power  of  the  past  tense  is  exemplified  in  '  If 
I  could,  I  would,'  which  means,  '  I  can  not '  ;  whereas,  '  If 
I  can,  I  will,'  means,  '  I  do  not  know.' 

"The  past  subjunctive  may  be  expressed  by  an  inver- 
sion :  '  Had  I  the  power,'  '  Were  I  as  I  have  been.' 

"  In  Principal  Clauses. — The  principal  clause  in  a  con- 
ditional statement  also  takes  the  subjunctive  form  when  it 
refers  to  what  is  future  and  contingent,  and  when  it  refers 
to  what  is  past  and  uncertain,  or  denied.  '  If  he  should 
try,  he  would  succeed  '  ;  '  If  I  had  seen  him,  I  should  have 
asked  him.' 

"  The  usual  forms  of  the  subjunctive  in  the  principal 
clause  are  '  would,'  '  should,'  '  would  have,'  '  should  have  '  ; 
and  it  is  to  be  noted  that  in  this  application  the  second  per- 
sons take  the  inflectional  ending  of  the  indicative  :  '  shouldst,' 
'  wouldst.' 

"  '  If  'twere  done  when  'tis  done,  then  'twere  [would  be]  well 
It  were  [should  be]  done  quickly.' 

"  The  English  idiom  appears  sometimes  to  permit  the 
use  of  an  indicative  where  we  should  expect  a  subjunctive 
form.     '  Many  acts,  that  had  been  otherwise  blamable,  were 
employed ' ;  '  I  had  fainted,  unless  I  had  believed,'  etc. 
"  '  Which  else  lie  furled  and  shrouded  in  the  soul.' 

"In  'else'  there  is  implied  a  conditional  clause  that 
would  suit  '  lie '  ;  or  the  present  may  be  regarded  as  a 
more  vivid  form  of  expression.  Had  may  be  indicative  ; 
just  as  we  sometimes  find  pluperfect  indicative  for  pluper- 


268  THE    VERBALIST. 

feet  subjunctive  in  the  same  circumstances  in  Latin.  We 
may  refer  it  to  the  general  tendency,  as  already  seen  in  the 
uses  of  could,  would,  should,  etc.,  to  express  conditionality 
by  [with]  a  past  tense  ;  or  the  indicative  may  be  used  as  a 
more  direct  and  vivid  mode.  Had  may  be  subjunctive  ; 
'  I  had  fainted  '  is,  in  construction,  analogous  to  '  I  should 
have  fainted  ' ;  the  word  for  futurity,  shall,  not  being  neces- 
sary to  the  sense,  is  withdrawn,  and  its  past  inflection  trans- 
ferred to  have.     Compare  German  wiirde  haben  and  hdtte." 

In  addition  to  the  foregoing,  we  find  in  Prof.  Bain's 
Composition  Grammar  the  following : 

"  The  case  most  suited  to  the  subjunctive  is  contingent 
futurity,  or  the  expression  of  an  event  unknown  absolutely, 
as  being  still  in  the  future  :  '  If  to-morrow  be  fine,  I  will 
walk  with  you.' 

"  '  Unless  I  were  prepared,'  insinuates  pretty  strongly 
that  I  am  or  am  not  prepared,  according  to  the  manner  of 
the  principal  clause. 

"  'What's  a  tall  man  unless  height?' 
"  '  The  sword  hath  ended  him  :  so  shall  it  thee, 
Unless  thou  yield  thee  as  my  prisoner.' 
'  Who  but  must  laugh,  if  such  a  man  there  be? 
Who  would  not  weep,  if  Atticus  were  he  ? ' 

"  '  I  am  to  second  Ion  if  he  fail '  ;  the  failing  is  left 
quite  doubtful.  '  I  should  very  imperfectly  execute  the 
task  which  [that]  I  have  undertaken  if  I  were  merely  to 
treat  of  battles  and  sieges.'  Macaulay  thus  implies  that 
the  scope  of  his  work  is  to  be  wider  than  mere  battles  and 
sieges. 

"  '  The  subjunctive  appears  in  some  other  constructions. 
'  I  hope  to  see  the  exhibition  before  it  close ' ;  '  Wait  till  the 
return '  ;  '  Thou  shalt  stand  by  the  river's  brink  against  he 
come ' ;  '  Take  heed  lest  passion  sway  thy  judgment ' ;  '  Speak 


THE    VERBALIST.  269 

to  mc,  though  it  be  in  wrath';  '  If  he  smite  him  with  an 
instrument  of  iron  so  that  he  die,  he  is  a  murderer ' ; 
'  Beware  this  night  that  thou  cross  not  my  footsteps ' 
(Shelley). 

"  Again  :  '  Whatever  this  be ' ;  '  whoever  he  be' ;  '  hovv- 
e'er  it  be'  (Tennyson) ;  and  such  like. 

"  '  And  as  long,  O  God,  as  she 
Have  a  grain  of  love  for  me, 

So  long,  no  doubt,  no  doubt, 
Shall  I  nurse  in  my  dark  heart, 
However  weary,  a  spark  of  will 
Not  to  be  trampled  out.' 
"  The  future  subjunctive  is  given  in  our  scheme  of  the 
verb   as   'should'   in   all    persons:   'If  I    should,   if   thou 
should,   if   he    should.'     In    old    English   we    have    '  thou 
shouldst ' :  '  If  thou,  Lord,  shouldst  mark  iniquities.' 

"An  inverted  conditional  form  has  taken  deep  root  in 
our  language,  and  may  be  regarded  as  an  elegant  and  for- 
cible variety.  While  dispensing  with  the  conjunction,  it 
does  not  cause  ambiguity  ;  nevertheless,  conditionality  is 
well  marked. 

"  '  If  you  should  abandon  your  Penelope  and  your  home 

for  Calypso, ' :  '  Should  you  abandon .' 

'   '  Go  not  my  horse  the  better, 
I  must  become  a  borrower  of  the  night 
For  a  dark  hour  or  twain.' 
"  '  Here  had  we  now  our  country's  honor  roof'd 

Were  the  graced  person  of  our  Banquo  present. 
"  '  Be  thou  a  spirit  of  health  or  goblin  damn'd, 

Bring  with  thee  airs  from  heaven  or  blasts  from  hell, 
Be  thy  intents  wicked  or  charitable, 
Thou  com'st  in  such  a  questionable  shape 
That  I  will  speak  to  thee.' 


2/0 


THE    VERBALIST. 


"  '  Come  one,  come  all,  this  rock  shall  fly 
From  its  firm  base  as  soon  as  I.' — Scott. 
"  The  following  examples  are  given  by  Matzner: 
"  '  Varney's  communications,  &?  they  what  they  might, 
were  operating  in  his  favor.' — Scott. 

" '  Governing  persons,  were  they  never  so  insignificant 
intrinsically,  have  for  most  part  plenty  of  memoir-writers.' 
— Carlyle. 

"  '  Even  were  I  disposed,  I  could  not  gratify  the  reader. 
— Warren. 

" '  Bring  them  back  to  me,  cost  what  it  may.' — Cole- 
ridge, Wallenstein. 

"'And  will  you,  nill  .you,  I  will  marry  you.' — Taming 
of  the  Shrew. 

"  Were  is  used  in  the  principal  clause  for  should  be  or 
would  be.  * 

"  '  I  7cere  [  =  should  be]  a  fool,  not  less  than  if  a  panther 
Were  panic-stricken  by  the  antelope's  eye, 
If  she  escape  me.' — Shelley. 
"  '  Were  you  but  riding  forth  to  air  yourself, 

Such  parting  were  too  petty.' 
"  '  Hewcre[  =  would  be]  no  lion,  were  not  Romans  hinds.' 
"  '  Should  he  be  roused  out  of  his  sleep  to-night,  .  .  . 

It  were  not  well ;    indeed  it  were  not  well.' — Shelley. 
"  Had  is  sometimes  used    in   the  principal  clause  for 
'  should  have  '  or  '  would  have.'  f 

*  "  So,  in  German,  -ware  for  luiirde  sein.  '  Hatt'  ich  Schwingen, 
hatt'  ich  Fliigel,  nach  den  Hiigeln  zog'  ich  hin,'  for  '  wiirde  ich 
Ziehen.''  " 

+  "  So,  in  German,  hdtte  occurs  for  iviirde  haben.  '  Ware  er  da 
gewesen,  so  hdtten  wir  ihn  gesehen,'  for  '  so  iviirden  wir  ihn  gesehen 
haben.'  Hdtten  is  still  conditional,  not  indicative.  In  Latin,  the 
pluperfect  indicative  is  occasionally  used,  which  is  explained  as  a 
more  vivid  form." 


THE    VERBALIST. 


2/1 


"  '  Had  I  known  this  before  we  set  out,  I  think  I  had 
[  ==  would  have]  remained  at  home.' — Scott. 

"  '  Hadst  thou  been  kill'd  when  first  thou  didst  presume, 
Thou  hadst  not  lived  to  kill  a  son  of  mine.' 

'"If  he 
Had  killed  me,  he  had  done  a  kinder  deed.' 
"  '  For  once  he  had  been  ta'en  or  slain, 

An  it  had  not  been  his  ministry.' — Scott. 
"  '  If  thou  hadst  said  him  nay,  it  had  been  sin.'  * 
"'Had  better,  rather,  best,  as  lief,  as  well,  etc.,'  is  a 
form  that  is  explained  under   this  heading.     Had  stands 
for  would  have.     The  exploded  notion  that   had  is  a  cor- 
rupted would  must  be  guarded  against. 

"  '  I  had  as  lief  not  be.'  That  is,  '  I  would  as  lief  have 
not  [to]  he  '  =  '  I  would  as  willingly  [or  as  soon]  have  non- 
existence.' 

"  '  Had  you  rather  Caesar  were  living '  ?     '  Would 

you  rather  have  [would  you  prefer  that]  Caesar  were  liv- 
ing?! 

"  '  He  had  better  reconsider  the  matter '  is,  '  He  would 
better  have  \to\  reconsider  the  matter.' 

"  '  I  had  rather  be  a  kitten  and  cry  mew 

Than  one  of  these  same  metre  ballad-mongers  ; 
I  had  rather  hear  a  brazen  canstick  turned.' 
"  Let  us  compare  this  form  with  another  that  appears 
side  by  side  with  it   in   early  writers.     (Cp.  Lat.  'habeo' 
and  '  mihi  est.') 

"  The  construction  of  'had'  is  thus  illustrated  in  Chau- 
cer, as  in  (Nonne  Prestes  Tale,  300)  : 

*  "  In  principal  clauses  the  inflection  of  the  second  person  is  al- 
ways retained  :  '  thou  had.r/,'  '  thou  would.?/,  should.*-/,'  etc.  In  the  ex- 
ample, the  subordinate  clause,  although  subjunctive,  shows  '  had*/.' 
And  this  usage  is  exceedingly  common." 


272  THE    VERBALIST. 

'  By  God,  I  hadde  levere  than  my  scherte, 
That  ye  hadde  rad  his  legend,  as  I  have.' 

"  Compare  now : 

"  '  Ah  me  were  levere  with  lawe  loose  my  lyf 
Then  so  to  fote  hem  fallc' — Wright,  Polit.  S. 
"Here  were  is  unquestionably  for  would  be;   and  the 
whole    expression  might  be  given  by  had,   thus  :  '  Ah,  / 

hadde  levere  ,'  '  [to]  loose '  and  '  [to]  falle'  changing 

from  subjects  of  were  to  objects  of  hadde. 

"  So,  in  the  Chaucer  example  above,  if  we  substitute 
be  for  have,  we   shall  get   the  same  meaning,  thus  :  '  By 

God,  me  were  levere .'     The  interchange  helps  us  to 

see  more  clearly  that  hadde  is  to  be  explained  as  subjunc- 
tive for  would  have."    See  Indicative  and  Subjunctive. 

Such.  "  I  have  never  before  seen  such  a  large  ox." 
By  a  little  transposing  of  the  words  of  this  sentence,  we 
have,  "  I  have  never  before  seen  an  ox  such  large,"  which 
makes  it  quite  clear  that  we  should  say  so  large  an  ox,  and 
not  such  a  large  ox. 

As  proof  that  this  error  in  the  use  of  such  is  common, 
we  find  in  Mr.  George  Washington  Moon's  Dean's  Eng- 
lish and  Bad  English,  the  sentence,  "  With  all  due  defer- 
ence to  such  a  high  authority  on  such  a  very  important 
matter."  With  a  little  transposing,  this  sentence  is  made 
to  read,  "  With  all  due  deference  to  an  authority  such  high 
on  a  matter  such  very  important."  It  is  clear  that  the  sen- 
tence should  read,  "  With  all  due  deference  to  so  high  an 
authority  on  so  very  important  a  matter." 

The  phrases,  such  a  handsome,  such  a  lovely,  such  a 
long,  such  narrow,  etc.,  are  incorrect,  and  should  be  so 
handsome,  so  lovely,  so  long,  and  so  on. 

"  He  is  such  an  extravagant  young  man  that  he  soon 
spent  all  his  patrimony  "  ;  say,  so  extravagant  a  young  man. 


THE    VERBALIST. 


V3 


Such  another.     Properly,  another  such. 

Summon.  This  verb  comes  in  for  its  full  share  of 
mauling.  We  often  hear  such  expressions  as  "  I  will  sum- 
mons him,"  instead  of  summon  him  ;  and  "  He  was  sum- 
moused"  instead  of  summoned. 

Superfluous  relatives.  Sentences  are  often  met  with 
in  which  there  is  a  superfluous  relative  pronoun. 

"  There  are  Latin  words  in  us  which  [that]  we  treat  in 
English  as  nouns  singular,  yet  -which  in  Latin,"  etc.  The 
second  relative  only  serves  to  make  the  diction  clumsy. 
Had  the  writer  used  that  for  his  first  relative,  it  is  probable 
that  he  would  not  have  thought  a  second  pronoun  neces- 
sary. 

Superfluous  words.  "  Whenever  I  try  to  write  well,  I 
always  find  I  can  do  it."  "I  shall  have  finished  by  the 
latter  end  of  the  week."  "  Iron  sinks  down  in  water." 
"  He  combined  together  all  the  facts."  "  My  brother 
called  on  me,  and  we  both  took  a  walk."  "  I  can  do  it 
equally  as  well  as  he."  "  We  could  not  forbear  from  do- 
ing it."  "  Before  I  go,  I  must  first  be  paid."  "  We  were 
compelled  to  return  back."  "We  forced  them  to  retreat 
back  fully  a  mile."  "  His  conduct  was  approved  of  by 
everybody."  "  They  conversed  together  for  a  long  time.* 
"  The  balloon  rose  up  very  rapidly."  "  Give  me  another 
one."  "Come  home  as  soon  as  ever  you  can."  "Who 
finds  him  in  money?  "  "  He  came  in  last  of  all."  "  He 
has^-^  all  he  can  carry."  "What  have  you  got}"  "No 
matter  what  I  have  got."  "  I  have  got  the  headache." 
"  Have  you  got  any  brothers  ?  "  "  No,  but  I  have  got  a 
sister."     All  the  words  in  italics  are  superfluous. 

Superior.     See  Inferior. 

Superior.  This  word  is  not  infrequently  used  for 
able,  excellent,  gifted  ;  as,  "  She   is    a   superior  woman,' 


274 


THE    VERBALIST. 


meaning  an  excellent  woman  ;  "  He  is  a  superior  man," 
meaning  an  able  man.  The  expression  "an  inferior  man" 
is  not  less  objectionable. 

Supposititious.  This  word  is  properly  used  in  the  sense 
of  put  by  a  trick  into  the  place  or  character  belonging  to 
another  ;  spurious  ;  counterfeit  ;  not  genuine  ;  and  improp- 
erly in  the  sense  of  conjectural ;  hypothetical  ;  imaginary  ; 
presumptive  ;  as,  "  This  is  a  supposititious  case,"  meaning  an 
imaginary  or  presumptive  case.  "  The  English  critic  de- 
rived his  material  from  a  stray  copy  of  some  supposititious 
indexes  devised  by  one  of  the  Post  reporters." — Nation. 
Here  is  a  correct  use  of  the  word. 

Sure.  Can  not  properly  be  used  as  an  adverb.  Not, 
"  He  will  be  here  sure,  but,  "  He  will  surely  be  here." 

Sustain.  We  occasionally  see  the  word  used  in  the 
sense  of  receive  by  persons  who  find  it  difficult  to  be  direct 
and  simple.  P^or  example,  we  do  not  sustain — we  receive — 
injuries. 

It  is  also  sometimes  misused  in  the  sense  of  to  meet 
with;  thus,  "  He  had  lately  sustained  several  small  losses, 
which  greatly  worried  him." 

Swosh.  There  is  a  kind  of  ill-balanced  brain  in  which 
the  reflective  and  the  imaginative  very  much  outweigh  the 
perceptive.  Men  to  whom  this  kind  of  an  organization  has 
been  given  commonly  have  active  minds,  but  their  minds 
never  present  anything  clearly.  To  their  mental  vision  all 
is  ill-defined,  chaotic.  They  see  everything  in  a  haze. 
Whether  such  men  talk  or  write,  they  are  verbose,  illogical, 
intangible,  Will-o'-the-wispish.  Their  thoughts  are  phan- 
tomlike ;  like  shadows,  they  continually  escape  their  grasp. 
In  their  talk  they  will,  after  long  dissertations,  tell  you  that 
they  have  not  said  just  what  they  would  like  to  say  ;  there 
is  always  a    subtle,   lurking    something   still  unexpressed, 


THE    VERBALIST. 


275 


which  something — the  real  essence  of  the  matter — your 
penetration  is  expected  to  divine.  Tn  their  writings  they 
are  eccentric,  vague,  labyrinthine,  pretentious,  transcenden- 
tal,* and  frequently  ungrammatical.  These  men,  if  write 
they  must,  should  confine  themselves  to  the  descriptive  ; 
for  when  they  enter  the  essayist's  domain — which  they  are 
very  prone  to  do — they  write  what  I  will  venture  to  call 
swosk. 

We  find  examples  in  plenty  of  this  kind  of  writing  in 
the  essays  of  Mr.  Ralph  Waldo  Emerson.  Indeed,  the  im- 
partial critic  that  will  take  the  trouble  to  examine  any  of 
Mr.  Emerson's  essays  at  all  carefully,  is  quite  sure  to  come 
to  the  conclusion  that  Mr.  Emerson  has  seen  everything  he 
has  ever  made  the  subject  of  his  essays  very  much  as  Lon- 
don is  seen  in  a  fog  from  the  top  of  St.  Taul's. 

Mr.  Emerson's  definition  of  Nature  runs  thus  :  "  Philo- 
sophically considered,  the  universe  is  composed  of  Nature 
and  the  Soul.  Strictly  speaking,  therefore,  all  that  is  sepa- 
rate from  us,  all  which  philosophy  distinguishes  from  the 
Not  Me — that  is,  both  Nature  and  Art,  and  all  other  men, 
and  my  own  body — must  be  ranked  under  this  name  '  Na- 
ture.' In  enumerating  the  values  of  Nature  and  casting 
up  their  sum,  I  shall  use  the  word  in  both  senses — in  its 
common  and  in  its  philosophical  import.  In  inquiries  so 
general  as  our  present  one,  the  inaccuracy  is  not  material ; 
no  confusion  of  thought  will  occur.  Nature,  in  the  com- 
mon sense,  refers  to  essences  unchanged  by  man  :  space, 

*  To  those  that  are  not  quite  clear  as  to  what  transcendentalism  is, 
the  following  lucid  definition  will  be  welcome  :  "  It  is  the  spiritual  cog- 
noscence  of  psychological  irrefragability  connected  with  concutient 
ademption  of  incolumnient  spirituality  and  etherealized  contention  of 
subsultory  concretion."  Translated  by  a  New  York  lawyer,  it  stands 
thus:  "Transcendentalism  is  two  holes  in  a  sandbank:  a  storm 
washes  away  the  sand-bank  without  disturbing  the  holes." 


2;6  THE    VERBALIST. 

the  air,  the  river,  the  leaf.  Art  is  applied  to  the  mixture 
of  his  will  with  the  same  things,  as  in  a  house,  a  canal,  a 
picture,  a  statue.  But  his  operations,  taken  together,  are 
so  insignificant — a  little  chipping,  baking,  patching,  and 
washing — that  in  an  impression  so  grand  as  that  of  the 
world  on  the  human  mind  they  do  not  vary  the  result." 

In  Letters  and  Social  Aims,  Mr.  Emerson  writes  :  "  Elo- 
quence is  the  power  to  translate  a  truth  into  language  per- 
fectly intelligible  to  the  person  to  whom  you  speak.  He 
who  would  convince  the  worthy  Mr.  Dundarhead  of  any 
truth  which  Dunderhead  does  not  see,  must  be  a  master  of 
his  art.  Declamation  is  common  ;  but  such  possession  of 
thought  as  is  here  required,  such  practical  chemistry  as  the 
conversion  of  a  truth  written  in  God's  language  into  a  truth 
in  Dunderhead's  language,  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and 
cogent  weapons  that  is  forged  in  the  shop  of  the  Divine 
Artificer." 

The  first  paragraph  of  Mr.  Emerson's  Essay  on  Art 
reads :  "  All  departments  of  life  at  the  present  day — 
Trade,  Politics,  Letters,  Science,  or  Religion — seem  to  feel, 
and  to  labor  to  express,  the  identity  of  their  law.  They  are 
rays  of  one  sun  ;  they  translate  each  into  a  new  language 
the  sense  of  the  other.  They  are  sublime  when  seen  as 
emanations  of  a  Necessity  contradistinguished  from  the 
vulgar  Fate  by  being  instant  and  alive,  and  dissolving  man, 
as  well  as  his  works,  in  its  flowing  beneficence.  This  in- 
fluence is  conspicuously  visible  in  the  principles  and  his- 
tory of  Art." 

Another  paragraph  from  Mr.  Emerson's  Essay  on  Elo- 
quence :  "  The  orator,  as  we  have  seen,  must  be  a  sub- 
stantial personality.  Then,  first,  he  must  have  power  of 
statement — must  have  the  fact,  and  know  how  to  tell  it. 
In  a  knot   of  men   conversing   on  any   subject,  the  per- 


THE    VERBALIST. 


277 


son  who  knows  most  about  it  will  have  the  ear  of  the  com- 
pany, if  he  wishes  it,  and  lead  the  conversation,  no  matter 
what  genius  or  distinction  other  men  there  present  may 
have  ;  and,  in  any  public  assembly,  him  who  has  the  facts, 
and  can  and  will  state  them,  people  will  listen  to,  though 
he  is  otherwise  ignorant,  though  he  is  hoarse  and  ungrate- 
ful, though  he  stutters  and  screams." 

Mr.  Emerson,  in  his  Essay  on  Prudence,  writes : 
"  There  are  all  degrees  of  proficiency  in  knowledge  of  the 
world.  It  is  sufficient  to  our  present  purpose  to  indicate 
three.  One  class  live  to  the  utility  of  the  symbol,  es- 
teeming health  and  wealth  a  final  good.  Another  class  live 
above  this  mark  to  the  beauty  of  the  symbol,  as  the  poet 
and  artist,  and  the  naturalist  and  man  of  science.  A  third 
class  live  above  the  beauty  of  the  symbol  to  the  beauty 
of  the  thing  signified  ;  those  are  wise  men.  The  first 
class  have  common  sense ;  the  second,  taste ;  and  the 
third,  spiritual  perception.  Once  in  a  long  time  a  man 
traverses  the  whole  scale,  and  sees  and  enjoys  the  symbol 
solidly  ;  then,  also,  has  a  clear  eye  for  its  beauty  ;  and, 
lastly,  while  he  pitches  his  tent  on  this  sacred  volcanic  isle 
of  nature,  does  not  offer  to  build  houses  and  barns  thereon, 
reverencing  the  splendor  of  God  which  he  sees  bursting 
through  each  chink  and  cranny." 

Those  that  are  wont  to  accept  others  at  their  self-assess- 
ment and  to  see  things  through  other  people's  eyes — and 
there  are  many  such — are  in  danger  of  thinking  this  kind 
of  writing  very  fine,  when  in  fact  it  is  not  only  the  veriest 
swosh,  but  that  kind  of  swosh  that  excites  at  least  an  occa- 
sional doubt  with  regard  to  the  writer's  sanity.  We  can 
make  no  greater  mistake  than  to  suppose  that  the  reason 
we  do  not  understand  these  rhetorical  contortionists  is  be- 
cause they  are   so  subtle  and  profound.     We  understand 


278 


THE    VERBALIST. 


them  quite  as  well  as  they  understand  themselves.  At 
their  very  best  they  are  but  incoherent  diluters  of  other 
men's  ideas.  They  have  but  one  thing  to  recommend  them 
— honesty.     They  believe  in  themselves. 

"  Whatever  is  dark  is  deep.  Stir  a  puddle,  and  it  is  as 
deep  as  a  well." — Swift. 

"  It  is  certain  that  Emerson  can  not  be  understood  by 
minds  competent  to  understand  anything  that  is  worthy  of 
being  considered  by  intellectual  men." — George  Ticknor 
Curtis,  N.  Y.  Sun,  August  31,  1890. 

Synecdoche.  The  using  of  the  name  of  a  part  for 
that  of  the  whole,  the  name  of  the  whole  for  that  of  a  part, 
or  the  using  of  a  definite  number  for  an  indefinite,  is  called, 
in  rhetoric,  synecdoche.  "  The  bay  was  covered  with  sails  " — 
i.  e.,  with  ships.  "  The  man  was  old,  careworn,  and  gray  " — 
i.  e.,  literally,  his  hair,  not  the  man,  was  gray.  "  Nine 
tenths  of  every  man's  happiness  depends  on  the  reception 
he  meets  with  in  the  world."  "  He  had  seen  seventy  win- 
ters." "  Thus  spoke  the  tetfipter " :  here  the  part  of  the 
character  is  named  that  suits  the  occasion. 

"  His  roof  was  at  the  service  of  the  outcast ;  the  un- 
fortunate ever  found  a  welcome  at  his  threshold." 

"  It  is  a  decree  of  Providence  that  man  shall  earn  his 
bread  by  the  sweat  of  his  brow." 

Take.  I  copy  from  the  London  Queen  :  "  The  verb 
to  take  is  open  to  .being  considered  a  vulgar  verb  when 
used  in  reference  to  dinner,  tea,  or  to  refreshments  of  any 
kind.  '  Will  you  take  '  is  not  considered  comme  il  faut ; 
the  verb  in  favor  for  the  offering  of  civilities  being  to  have!' 
According  to  The  Queen,  then,  we  must  say,  "  Will  you 
have  some  dinner,  tea,  coffee,  wine,  fish,  beef,  salad,"  etc. 

Talented.  This  word  has  been  much  assailed.  "  I  re- 
gret to  see  that  vile  and  barbarous  vocable  talented  stealing 


THE    VERBALIST.  279 

out  of  the  newspapers  into  the  leading  reviews  and  most 
respectable  publications,"  said  Coleridge.  "  Talented  is  a 
mere  newspaper  and  hustings  word,  invented,  I  believe,  by 
O'Connell,"  said  Carlyle.  "  Talented  is  about  as  bad  as  pos- 
sible. What  is  it?  It  looks  like  a  participle.  From  what 
verb  ?  Fancy  such  a  verb  as  '  to  talent ! ' "  says  Dean 
Alford. 

In  reply  to  these  gentlemen,  Mr.  Fitz-Edward  Hall,  who 
knows  more  about  the  matter  than  all  of  them  put  to- 
gether, says  that,  instead  of  such  formations  being  new, 
they  have  been  employed  for  more  than  three  centuries. 
From  Bishop  Bale  (1553)  he  cites  mitered,  caped,  and  tip- 
peled;  and  from  Feltham  (1628)  parted—  excellently  parted 
=  of  good  parts ;  while  as  words  in  everyday  use  he  gives 
booted,  spurred,  bearded,  cultured,  homed,  etc. 

Although  talented  is  used  by  many  of  those  that  write 
best,  and  although  no  valid  objection  can  be  urged  against 
its  use,  it  would  nevertheless  be  well  to  use  it  less  than  we 
do,  and  to  make  greater  use  of  the  words  gifted  and  clever. 
Taste  of.  The  redundant  of,  often  used  in  this  coun- 
try in  connection  with  the  transitive  verbs  to  taste,  to  smell, 
and  to  feel,  is  a  Yankeeism.  We  taste  or  smell  or  feel  a 
thing,  not  taste  of  nor  smell  of  nor  feel  of  a  thing.  The 
neuter  verbs  to  taste  and  to  smell  are  often  followed  by  of. 
"  If  butter  tastes  of  brass  "  ;  "  For  age  but  tastes  of  pleas- 
ures." 

"  You  shall  stifle  in  your  own  report, 
And  smell  of  calumny." — Shakespeare. 
Tautology.     Among  the  things  to  be  avoided  in  writ- 
ing is  tautology,  which  is  the  repeating  of  the  same  thought, 
whether  in  the  same  or  in  different  words. 

Tautophony.     "  A  regard  for  harmony  requires  us,  in 
the  progress  of  a  sentence,  to  avoid  repeating  a  sound  by 


2 So  THE    VERBALIST. 

employing  the  same  word  more  than  once,  or  using  in 
contiguous  words  similar  combinations  of  letters.  This 
fault  is  known  as  tautology." — Dr.  G.  P.  Quackenbos,  Ad- 
vanced Course  of  Composition  and  Rhetoric,  p.  300.  Dr. 
Quackenbos  is  in  error.  The  repetition  of  the  same  sense 
is  tautology,  and  the  repetition  of  the  same  sound,  or,  as 
Dr.  Quackenbos  has  it,  "  the  repeating  of  a  sound  by  em- 
ploying the  same  word  more  than  once,  or  by  using  in 
contiguous  words  similar  combinations  of  letters,"  is  tau- 
tophony. 

Dr.  Quackenbos  is  equally  wrong  with  regard  to  the 
repeating  of  words.  It  is  often  very  much  better  to  repeat 
a  word  than  to  employ  a  synonym.     Example : 

"  It  may  be  possible  with  freshly  drawn  blood  to  dis- 
tinguish the  blood  of  healthy  persons  from  that  of  diseased 
individuals,"  etc.  If  individual  were  correctly  used — which 
it  is  not — it  would  still  have  been  far  better  to  repeat 
person. 

Teach.  To  impart  knowledge,  to  inform,  to  instruct ; 
as,  "  Teach  me  how  to  do  it  "  ;  "  Teach  me  to  swim  "  ;  "  He 
taught  me  to  write."  The  uncultured  often  misuse  learn 
for  teach.     See  Learn. 

Tense.     The  errors  made  in  the  use  of  the  tenses  are 
manifold.     The  one  most  frequently  made  by  persons  of 
culture — the  one  that  everybody  makes,  would  perhaps  be 
nearer  the  fact — is  that  of  using  the  imperfect  instead  of 
the  perfect  tense  ;  thus,  "  I  never  saw  it  played  but  once  " 
say  have  seen.      "He  was  the  largest  man  I  ever  saw" 
say  have  seen.     "  I  never   in   my  life  had  such  trouble" 
say  have  had. 

Another  frequent  error,  the  making  of  which  is  not  con- 
fined to  the  unschooled,  is  that  of  using  two  verbs  in  a  past 
tense  when  only  one  should  be  in  that  time ;  thus,  "  I  in- 


THE    VERBALIST.  28 1 

tended  to  have  gone"  :  say  to  go.  "  It  was  my  intention  to 
have  come  "  :  say  to  come.  "  I  expected  to  have  found  you 
here  "  :  say  to  Jind.  "  I  was  very  desirous  to  have  gone"  : 
say  to  go.  "  He  was  better  than  I  expected  to  have  found 
him  "  :  say  to  find. 

"  I  meant,  when  first  I  came,  to  have  bought  [buy]  all 
Paris." 

"  I  should  have  thought  it  an  act  of  tyranny  to  have  in- 
terfered [interfere]  with  his  opinions." 

"  It  had  been  my  intention  to  have  collected  [collect]  the 
remnants  of  Keats's  compositions." — Shelley. 

"  I  intended  to  have  insisted  [insist]  on  this  sympathy 
at  greater  length." — Ruskin. 

"  I  would  [should]  have  liked  to  have  asked  [ask],"  etc. 

"We  happened  to  have  been  [be]  present  on  the  occa- 
sion." 

"  He  would  have  liked  to  have  read  [read]  it  to  Isola  ; 
it  would  have  been  pleasant  to  haze  heard  [hear]  his  own 
voice  giving  due  emphasis  to  the  big  words." — Mrs.  Linton. 

Sometimes  the  error  comes  of  putting  the  verb  that 
should  be  in  the  infinitive  in  the  perfect  tense,  instead  of 
the  verb  on  which  it  depends. 

"  I  should  like  [should  have  liked]  very  much  to  have 
seen  [see]  him." — Sydney  Smith. 

"  There  are  many  of  the  remaining  portions  of  these 
aphorisms  on  which  we  should  like  [should  have  liked]  to 
have  dwelt  [dwell]." 

"  It  was  my  determination  to  have  taken  [take]  posses- 
sion of  the  Trent  and  sent  [send]  her  to  Key  West  as  a 
prize." 

"  They  would  not  have  dared  to  have  done  [do]  it  if  an 
English  man-o'-war  had  been  in  sight." 

Here  is  an  example  of  a  locution  often  met  with  and  yet 

19 


232  THE    VERBALIST. 

indefensible  :  "  Several  newspapers  have  been  calling  atten- 
tion to  this  tomfoolery  and  suggesting  that  it  is  time  some- 
thing was  [be,  or  should  be,  or  better,  perhaps,  for  some- 
thing to  be]  done  to  put  a  stop  to  it." 

Among  other  common  errors  are  the  following  :  "  I  seen 
him  when  he  done  it "  :  say  "I  saw  him  when  he  did  it." 
"  I  should  have  went  home " :  say  gone.  "  If  he  had 
went":  say  gone.  "I  wish  you  had  went":  say  gone. 
"  He  has  went  out "  :  say  gone.  "  I  come  to  town  this 
morning":  say  came.  "He  come  to  me  for  advice": 
say  came.  "  It  begun  very  late  "  :  say  began.  "  It  had 
already  began  "  :  say  begun.  "  The  following  toasts  were 
drank  "  :  say  drunk.  "  His  text  was  that  God  was  love  "  : 
say  is  love.  Another  error  is  made  in  such  sentences  as 
these  :  "  If  I  had  have  known  "  :  say  had  known.  "  If  he 
had  have  come  as  he  promised":  say  had  come.  "If  you 
had  have  told  me " :  say  had  told.  See  Imperfect 
Tense. 

Testimony.     See  Evidence. 

Than.  Than  and  as  implying  comparison  have  the 
same  case  after  as  before  them.  "He  owes  more  than 
me"  :  read,  than  / — i.  e.,  more  than  1 07ve.  "John  is  not 
so  old  as  her  "  :  read,  as  she — i.  e.,  as  she  is.  We  should 
say,  then,  "  He  is  stronger  than  she  "  ;  "  She  is  older  than 
he"  ;  "  You  are  richer  than  /,"  etc.  But  it  does  not  always 
happen  that  the  nominative  case  comes  after  than  or  as. 
"  I  love  you  more  than  him,"  "  I  give  you  more  than 
him,"  "  I  love  you  as  well  as  him  "  ;  that  is  to  say,  "  I  love 
you  more  than  I  love  him"  "I  give  you  more  than  I  give 
him"  "  I  love  you  as  well  as  /  love  him."  Take  away  him 
and  put  he  in  all  these  cases,  and  the  grammar  is  just  as 
good,  but  the  meaning  is  quite  different.  "  I  love  you  as 
well  as  him"  means  that  I  love  you  as  well  as  I  love  him ; 


THE    VERBALIST.  283 

but  "  I  love  you  as  well  as  he"  means  that  I  love  you  as 
well  as  he  loves  you. 

A  common  misuse  of  than  is  that  of  making  it  follow 
scarcely,  hardly,  when  the  proper  word  to  follow  them  with 
is  when  ;  e.  g. : 

"  Scarcely  had  Bentley  thus  established  his  fame  in  this 
department  of  letters  than  [when]  he  as  suddenly  broke 
forth  in  a  still  higher." 

"  Scarcely  had  he  gone  than  [when]  Clodius  and  several 
of  his  gay  companions  broke  in  upon  him." 

"  He  had  scarcely  done  so  than  [when]  a  French  lieu- 
tenant endeavored  to  thrust  in  below  him." 

"  Hardly  had  misconduct  succumbed  to  treatment  than 
[when]  it  broke  out  in  another." 

Here  is  an  example  of  the  use  of  than  that  is  occasion- 
ally met  with,  and  that  for  incorrectness  and  outer  awk- 
wardness can  not  be  surpassed  : 

"Girls  are  educated,  in  China,  in  a  different  way  than 
boys  "  ;  meaning,  doubtless,  that  "  In  China,  boys  and  girls 
are  educated  in  a  different  way."  The  sentence  is  from 
The  Open  Court. 

Than  .  .  .  Help  or  Avoid.  "  I  said  no  more  than  I 
could  help  or  avoid."  Here  is  an  error  in  the  use  of  help 
and  of  avoid  that  is  made  by  pretty  nearly  everybody. 
The  thought  intended  and  the  thought — owing  to  the 
commonness  of  the  error — that  is  conveyed  with  this 
phrase  is,  "  I  said  no  more  than  what  [or  than  that  which, 
or  than  that  that]  I  could  not  help  or  avoid  saying,"  or  "  I 
said  only  what  I  could  not  help  or  avoid  saying,"  whereas 
the  sentence  really  says,  as  we  see  if  we  look  closely,  "  I 
said  no  more  than  what  [or  than  that  which]  I  could  have 
avoided  saying,  had  I  been  so  inclined."  If  we  supply  the 
elliptical  word  what  or  the  words  than  which,  or  that  that 


284 


THE    VERBALIST. 


after  than,  we  see  the  error  more  readily.  "  I'll  give  you 
no  more  trouble  than  I  can  help"  means  strictly,  "  I'll  give 
you  no  more  trouble  than  that  trouble  that  I  can  or  could 
help  or  avoid  giving  you  "  ;  yet  the  meaning  intended  is, 
"  I'll  give  you  no  more  trouble  than  that  trouble  that  I  can 
not  help  or  avoid  giving  you."  The  exceeding  commonness 
of  this  error,  as  we  see,  makes  the  sentence  "  I  will  give  no 
more  than  I  can  help  "  convey  the  meaning  "  I  will  give 
no  more  than  [just  what]  I  can  not  help  [giving]." 

Than  whom.  Cobbett,  in  his  Grammar  of  the  Eng- 
lish Language,  says  :  "  There  is  an  erroneous  way  of  em- 
ploying whom  which  [that]  I  must  point  out  to  your  par- 
ticular attention,  because  it  is  so  often  seen  in  very  good 
writers,  and  because  it  is  very  deceiving.  '  The  Duke  of 
Argyll,  than  whom  no  man  was  more  hearty  in  the  cause.' 
'  Cromwell,  than  whom  no  man  was  better  skilled  in  arti- 
fice.' A  hundred  such  phrases  might  be  collected  from 
Hume,  Blackstone,  and  even  from  Drs.  Blair  and  John- 
son ;  yet  they  are  bad  grammar.  In  all  such  cases,  who 
should  be  made  use  of,  for  it  is  nominative  and  not  ob- 
jective. '  No  man  was  more  hearty  in  the  cause  than  he 
was ' ;  'No  man  was  better  skilled  in  artifice  than  he  was.'  * 
It  is  a  very  common  Parliament-house  phrase,  and  there- 
fore presumably  corrupt ;  but  it  is  a  Dr.  Johnson  phrase, 
too  :  '  Pope,  than  whom  few  men  had  more  vanity.'  The 
doctor  did  not  say,  '  Myself,  than  whom  few  men  have 
been  found  more  base,  having,  in  my  dictionary,  described 
a  pensioner  as  a  slave  of  state,  and  having  afterward  my- 
self become  a  pensioner.' 

"  I  differ  in  this  matter  from  Bishop  Lowth,  who  says 
that    '  the  relative  who,  having  reference   to   no  verb  or 

*  "Cromwell— than  he,  no  man  was  more  skilled  in  artifice;  or, 
Cromwell— no  man  was  more  skilled  in  artifice  than  he  [was]." 


THE    VERBALIST.  285 

preposition  understood,  but  only  to  its  antecedent,  when  it 
follows  than,  is  always  in  the  objective  case  ;  even  though 
the  pronoun,  if  substituted  in  its  place,  would  be  in  the 
nominative' ;  and  then  he  gives  an  instance  from  Milton  : 
'  Beelzebub,  than  whom,  Satan  except,  none  higher  sat.' 
It  is  curious  enough  that  this  sentence  of  the  bishop  is 
itself  ungrammatical  !  Our  poor  unfortunate  it  is  so 
placed  as  to  make  it  a  matter  of  doubt  whether  the  bishop 
meant  it  to  relate  to  who  or  to  its  antecedent.  However, 
we  know  its  meaning  ;  but  though  he  says  that  who ,  when 
it  follows  than,  is  always  in  the  objective  case,  he  gives  us 
no  reason  for  this  departure  from  a  clear  general  principle  ; 
unless  we  are  to  regard  as  a  reason  the  example  of  Milton, 
who  has  committed  many  hundreds,  if  not  thousands,  of 
grammatical  errors,  many  of  which  the  bishop  himself  has 
pointed  out.  There  is  a  sort  of  side-wind  attempt  at  rea- 
son in  the  words,  '  having  reference  to  no  verb  or  preposi- 
tion understood.'  I  do  not  see  the  reason,  even  if  this 
could  be  ;  but  it  appears  to  me  impossible  that  a  noun  or 
pronoun  can  exist  in  a  grammatical  state  without  having 
reference  to  some  verb  or  preposition,  either  expressed  or 
understood.  What  is  meant  by  Milton  ?  'Than  Beelze- 
bub, none  sat  higher,  except  Satan.'  And  when,  in  order 
to  avoid  the  repetition  of  the  word  Beelzebub,  the  relative 
becomes  necessary,  the  full  construction  must  be,  '  No  devil 
sat  higher  than  who  sat,  except  Satan  '  ;  and  not,  '  No  devil 
sat  higher  than  whom  sat.'  *  The  supposition  that  there 
can  be  a  noun  or  pronoun  which  has  reference  to  no  verb 
and  no  preposition,  is  certainly  a  mistake." 

Of  this,  Dr.  Fitz-Edward  Hall  remarks,  in  his  Recent 
Exemplifications  of  False  Philology  :  "  That  any  one  but 
Cobbett  would  abide  this  as  English  is  highly  improbable ; 

*  "  No  devil  sat  higher  than  he  sat,  except  Satan," 


286  THE    VERBALIST. 

and  how  the  expression — a  quite  classical  one — which  he 
discards  can  be  justified  grammatically,  except  by  calling 
its  than  a  preposition,  others  may  resolve  at  their  leisure 
and  pleasure." 

Thanks.  There  are  many  persons  that  think  it  in 
questionable  taste  to  use  "Thanks"  for  "  Thank  you." 

That.  This  word  is  sometimes  vulgarly  used  as  an 
adverb  instead  of  so ;  thus,  that  headstrong,  that  angry, 
that  excitable,  and  so  forth. 

That  is  not  infrequently  repeated  to  the  great  detri- 
ment of  the  sentence,  thus,  "  I  tell  him  that  if  you  were 
to  hear  him  speak  English — which  he  does  in  the  prettiest 
manner — that  you  could  not  refrain  from  kissing  him." 

"  We  can  not  help  imagining  that  upon  starting  with  a 
fair  wind  on  a  voyage  of  only  a  day  and  a  half  that  our 
arrival  will  be  speedy  in  proportion  to  the  favor  of  the 
breeze." 

That  is  also  improperly  used  in  the  sense  of  such  a  ; 
thus,  "  The  confusion  had  now  reached  that  degree," 
etc. 

That— Which — Who.  Owing  to  the  indiscriminate, 
haphazard  use  of  the  relative  pronouns  that  almost  uni- 
versally prevails,  there  is  never,  probably,  a  newspaper, 
and  rarely  a  book,  printed  in  the  English  language  in 
which  there  are  not  ambiguous  sentences ;  and  yet  this 
ambiguity  can  be  easily  avoided,  as  we  see  if  we  give  the 
subject  a  little  attention. 

So  long  as  we  continue  to  use  the  relative  pronouns 
indiscriminately,  the  meaning  of  all  but  one  of  the  fol- 
lowing six  sentences — which  are  all  grammatically  and 
idiomatically  correct — and  of  all  like  sentences,  will  be 
doubtful : 

I.  These  are  the  master's  rules,  who  must  be  obeyed, 


THE    VERBALIST.  28? 

2.  These  are  the  rules  of  the  master,  who  must  be 
obeyed. 

3.  These  are  the  rules  of  the  master,  that  must  be 
obeyed. 

4.  These  are  the  rules  of  the  master,  which  must  be 
obeyed. 

5.  These  are  the  master's  rules,  which  must  be  obeyed. 

6.  These  are  the  master's  rules,  that  must  be  obeyed. 
Nos.  1  and  2  should  mean  :   These  are  the  rules  of  the 

master,  and  he  must  be  obeyed  ;  but  they  may  mean : 
These  are  the  rules  of  a  certain  one  of  several  masters,  and 
this  one  is  the  one  we  must  obey. 

No.  3  may  mean :  Of  the  master's  rules,  these  are  the 
ones  that  must  be  obeyed.  It  may  also  mean :  Of  sev- 
eral masters,  these  are  the  rules  of  the  one  whose  rules 
must  be  obeyed. 

Nos.  4  and  5  may  mean :  These  are  the  rules  of  the 
master,  and  they  must  be  obeyed  ;  or  they  may  mean  :  Of 
the  rules  of  the  master,  these  are  the  ones  that  must  be 
obeyed. 

That  is  properly  the  restrictive  relative  pronoun,  and 
which  and  who  are  properly  the  co-ordinating  relative 
pronouns.  That,  when  properly  used,  introduces  some- 
thing without  which  the  antecedent  is  not  fully  defined, 
whereas  which  and  who,  when  properly  used,  introduce  a 
new  fact  concerning  the  antecedent. 

Whenever  a  clause  restricts,  limits,  defines,  qualifies  the 
antecedent — i.  e.,  whenever  it  is  adjectival,  explanatory  in 
its  functions — it  should  be  introduced  with  the  relative  pro- 
noun that,  and  not  with  which,  nor  with  ivho  or  whom. 

The  use  of  that  solely  to  introduce  restrictive  clauses, 
and  who  and  which  solely  to  introduce  co-ordinating 
clauses,  avoids  ambiguities  that   must   occasionally  corn? 


288  THE    VERBALIST. 

of  using  the  relative  pronouns  indiscriminately.  This 
clearly  appears  from  the  following  examples : 

"  I  met  the  watchman  who  showed  me  the  way."  Does 
this  mean,  "  I  met  the  watchman  and  he  showed  me  the 
way  "  ?  or  does  it  mean  that,  of  several  watchmen  I  met, 
the  one  that  on  some  previous  occasion  showed  me  the 
way?  It  should  mean  the  former,  and  it  would  mean  that 
and  nothing  else,  if  we  discriminated  in  using  who  and 
that. 

"  And  fools  who  came  to  scoff  remained  to  pray." 
Does  the  familiar  line  from  Goldsmith  mean,  And  the 
fools  that  came,  though  they  came  to  scoff,  remained  to 
pray  ?  or  does  it  mean  that  some  of  the  fools  that  came, 
came  to  scoff,  and  these  remained  to  pray  ?  Probably  the 
former  is  the  meaning  ;  but  as  the  line  stands,  this.no  mat- 
ter how  general  the  opinion,  can  be  only  conjectured,  as 
every  one  must  admit  that  the  meaning  intended  may  be 
the  latter.  If  the  latter  is  the  meaning,  it  is  clear  that  the 
proper  relative  to  use  is  that.  Had,  however,  Goldsmith 
never  used  who,  except  to  introduce  co-ordination,  we 
should  know  positively  just  what  he  intended  to  convey. 

"  It  is  requested  that  all  members  of  Council  who  are 
also  members  of  the  Lands  Committee  will  assemble  in  the 
Council  room."  Does  this  mean  that  all  the  members  of 
Council  are  also  members  of  the  Lands  Committee,  and 
that  they  shall  assemble  ?  or  does  it  mean  that  such  mem- 
bers of  Council  as  are  also  members  of  the  Lands  Com- 
mittee shall  assemble? 

"  The  volume  is  recommended  to  all  geologists  to 
whom  the  Secondary  rocks  of  England  are  a  subject  of 
interest."  Is  the  volume  recommended  to  all  geologists, 
or  to  such  only  as  take  an  interest  in  Secondary  rocks? 

"  He  had  commuted  the    sentence    of   the  Circassian 


THE    VERBALIST.  289 

officers  who  had  conspired  against  Arabi  Bey  and  his  fel- 
low-ministers— a  proceeding  which  [that]  naturally  in- 
censed the  so-called  Egyptian  party."  Did  all  the  Cir- 
cassian officers  conspire,  or  only  a  part  of  them  ? 

"  On  the  ground  floor  of  the  hotel  there  are  three  par- 
lors which  are  never  used."  Does  this  mean  three  of  the 
parlors  on  the  ground  floor  are  not  used  ?  or  does  it  mean 
the  three  parlors  on  the  ground  floor  are  not  used  ?  The 
latter  is  probably  the  meaning  intended,  but  as  there  is  no 
comma  after  parlors,  the  former,  using  the  relatives  indis- 
criminately as  we  do,  is  the  meaning  expressed. 

"  Emin  Bey,  the  chief,  who  leaped  the  wall  on  horse- 
back and  landed  safely  on  the  dSris  below,  was  afterward 
taken  into  favor."  Here  the  language  and  the  punctuation 
convey  the  impression  that  Emin  Bey  was  the  sole  chief, 
when  in  fact  he  was  only  one  of  the  many  chiefs  that  were 
present  on  the  occasion  referred  to.  The  thought  intended 
is  expressed  thus :  "  Emin  Bey,  the  chief  thai  leaped  the 
wall,  .  .  .  was  afterward  taken  into  favor." 

"  His  conduct  surprised  his  English  friends  who  had 
not  known  him  long."  Does  this  mean  all  his  English 
friends,  or  only  those  of  them  that  had  not  known  him 
long?  If  the  former  is  the  meaning,  then  who  is  the  proper 
relative  to  use  with  a  comma  ;  if  the  latter,  then  that  should 
be  used,  without  a  comma. 

"  Agents  of  the  Turkish  Government  are  trying  to  close 
the  Protestant  schools  in  Asia  Minor,  which  are  conducted 
by  missionaries  from  the  United  States."  Are  the  Turks 
trying  to  close  all  the  Protestant  schools  in  Asia  Minor,  or 
only  a  part  of  them  ?  All,  according  to  this  statement  ;  but 
that  is  probably  not  what  is  intended,  as  there  are  doubt- 
less Protestant  schools  in  Asia  Minor  that  are  not  con- 
ducted by  missionaries  from  the  United  States. 


290 


THE    VERBALIST. 


'  The  police  captains" who  yesterday  visited  the  central 
office  to  draw  their  pay,  all  expressed  their  sympathy,"  etc. 
Did  all  the  police  captains  visit  the  central  office,  or  only 
a  part  of  them  ? 

"  The  youngest  boy  who  has  learned  to  dance  is  James." 
As  long  as  we  use  who  for  the  purposes  of  both  restriction 
and  co-ordination,  this  means  either,  "  The  youngest  boy  is 
James,  and  he  has  learned  to  dance,"  or,  "  Of  the  boys,  the 
youngest  that  has  learned  to  dance  is  James."  If  the  latter 
is  the  meaning,  then  that  should  have  been  used  ;  if  the 
former,  then  who  is  correctly  used,  but  the  co-ordinate 
clause  should  have  been  isolated  with  commas. 

Who  and  which  are  the  proper  co-ordinating  relatives — 
i.  e.,  the  relatives  to  use  when  the  antecedent  is  completely 
expressed  without  the  help  of  the  clause  introduced  with 
the  relative.  Thus :  "  The  society  now  numbers  nearly 
twenty  members,  who  (  =  a.nd  they)  have  given  up  all  family 
ties  and  devoted  themselves  entirely  to  religious  work." 
■'  The  choir  consists  of  about  sixty  men  and  boys,  who  are 
iurpliced."  "  But  some  of  their  friends,  who  (  =  persons 
that)  are  wealthy  and  influential  members  of  the  church,  did 
not  like  to  have  them  give  up  their  work  in  Boston,  which 
had  been  attended  with  great  results,  and  urged  them  to 
return,  which  they  have  consented  to  do,  and  they  will  soon 
begin  work  anew  at  the  old  church,  which  is  the  property 
of  the  Society  of  St.  John  the  Evangelist." 

Here  are  some  examples  of  the  correct  use  of  who, 
which,  that,  and  whom  :  "  The  heirs,  who  are  very  numer- 
ous, will  be  present " — i.  e.,  all  the  heirs.  "  The  heirs,  who 
have  been  notified,  will  be  present " — i.  e.,  all  the  heirs. 
"  The  heirs  that  have  been  notified  will  be  present " — i.  e., 
only  those  notified.  "  The  heirs,  whom  I  have  seen,  will 
be  present"— i.  e.,  all  the  heirs.     "  The  heirs  that  I  have 


THE    VERBALIST. 


>9I 


seen  will  be  present" — i.  e.,  only  those  seen.  "I  study 
grammar,  which  I  like  very  much."  "  Give  me  the  gram- 
mar that  lies  on  the  desk."  "  He  struck  the  man  who" — 
i.  e.,  a  certain  man — "  had  done  him  no  harm."  "  He  struck 
the  man  that" — i.  e.,  a  man  of  several  men — "  insulted  him." 
"  He  struck  the  wrong  man — the  one  that  had  done  him  no 
harm."  "  Our  house,  which  is  built  of  brick,  is  very  warm." 
"  The  house  that  is  built  of  brick  is  the  warmest."  "  The 
cat " — i.  e.,  the  species — "  which  you  so  dislike  is  a  useful 
animal."  "  The  cat  " — i.  e.,  the  individual — "  that  you  so 
dislike  is  a  very  pretty  one."  "  He  jumped  into  the  water, 
which  greatly  frightened  his  mother."  "  He  attends  to  his 
own  affairs,  which  is  the  way  to  make  them  prosper."  "He 
that  attends  to  his  own  affairs  is  likely  to  see  them  prosper." 
'  The  man  that  I  saw  is  tall."  "  This  man,  whom  I  know, 
well,  is  a  good  plowman."  "  He  that  lets  the  sun  go  down 
on  his  wrath,"  etc. 

In  the  following  example  the  errors  in  the  use  of  the 
relatives  are  corrected  in  brackets:  "The  rich  despise 
those  who  [that]  flatter  too  much,  and  hate  those  who 
[that]  do  not  flatter  at  all."  "  An  ambitious  man  whom 
[that]  you  can  serve  will  often  aid  you  to  rise,"  etc.  "  He 
that  feeds  man  serveth  few  ;  he  serveth  all  who  [that] 
dares  be  true."  "  The  curious  inquirer  who  [that]  sets  him- 
self," etc.  "  This  book  has  been  made  for  those  who  [that] 
aim  to  have,"  etc.  "  The  people  who  [that]  are  expecting, 
under  the  new  code  .  .  .  The  people  will  not  consent, 
under  a  Government  which  [that]  depends  upon  their  will, 
to  adopt  the  Sabbatarian  notions  which  [that]  the  old 
Puritans  .  .  .  Yet  there  are  some  narrow  minds  in  New 
York  who  [that]  still  think  .  .  .  They  have  no  sympathy 
with  those  who  [that]  would  force  .  .  .  Then  there  are 
the  Jews,  who  do  not  feel  .  .  .  and  who  claim  the  right  to 


2g2  THE    VERBALIST. 

work  or  play  on  Sunday  .  .  .     The  population  would  be 
sunk  in  gloom,  which  would  of  course,"  etc. 

It  is  necessary,  for  the  proper  understanding  of  which, 
to  advert  to  its  peculiar  function  of  referring  to  a  whole 
clause  as  the  antecedent :  "  William  ran  along  the  top  of 
the  wall,  which  alarmed  his  mother  very  much."  The 
antecedent  is  obviously  not  the  noun  "  wall,"  but  the  fact 
expressed  by  the  entire  clause — "  William  ran,"  etc.  "  He 
by  no  means  wants  sense,  which  only  serves  to  aggravate 
his  former  folly  "  ;  namely,  (not  "  sense,"  but)  the  circum- 
stance "  that  he  does  not  want  sense."  "  He  is  neither 
overexalted  by  prosperity  nor  too  much  depressed  by  mis- 
fortune, which  you  must  allow  marks  a  great  mind."  "  We 
have  done  many  things  which  we  ought  not  to  have  done  " 
might  mean  "we  ought  not  to  have  done  many  things" — 
that  is,  "  we  ought  to  have  done  few  things."  That  would 
give  the  exact  sense  intended:  "We  have  done  many 
things  that  we  ought  not  to  have  done."  That  is  much 
more  frequently  used  instead  of  who  as  a  restrictive  rela- 
tive than  will  be  at  first  supposed.  As  evidence  of  this  I 
offer  a  sentence  that  I  find  in  a  London  cablegram  to  a 
New  York  newspaper :  "  It  was  he  that  moved  the  ad- 
journment until  Tuesday."  This,  in  my  judgment,  is  bet- 
ter and  more  idiomatic  English  than  it  would  have  been 
had  the  writer  used  who  instead  of  that. 

Occasionally,  but  by  no  means  often,  we  meet  with  a 
that  that  should  be  which.     Here  are  two  such  whiches  : 

"  Across  the  Straits  of  Fuca  there  is  the  pretty  English 
town  of  Victoria  that  [which]  has  as  solid  mansions,"  etc. 

"  The  Strait  or  Gulf  of  Georgia,  that  [which]  separates 
Vancouver  Island  from  the  mainland,  although,"  etc. 

There  is  not,  as  some  of  the  unthinking  seem  to  be- 
lieve, any  valid  objection  to  using  two  thats  in  immediate 


THE    VERBALIST. 


293 


succession,  as  in  the  utterance  they  are  widely  different. 
Thus  used,  they  are  not  at  all  disturbing,  not  at  all  tauto- 
phonic.  Two  successive  thats  are  tautophonic  to  the  eye 
only.  The  demonstrative  that  always  has  its  full  name 
sound,  while  the  other  thai,  be  it  a  conjunction  or  a  rela- 
tive, is  barely  touched  ;  thus,  "  I  say  th't  that  book  is 
old."  "  Where  is  THAT  th't  I  gave  you?"  Indeed,  three 
successive  thats  are  not  at  all  disturbing — e.  g.,  "They, 
therefore,  that  treat  of  these  subjects  more  boldly,  venture 
to  say  th't  THAT  th't  is  base  is  the  only  evil." 

"Who  is  that  that  dares  to  address  the  court?" — 
Dickens. 

"  We  must  next  allude  to  the  cases  where  the  relative  is 
governed  by  a  preposition.  We  can  use  a  preposition  be- 
fore who  (in  the  objective  case  whom)  and  which,  but 
when  the  relative  is  that  the  preposition  must  be  thrown  to 
the  end  of  the  clause.  Owing  to  an  imperfect  appreciation 
of  the  genius  of  our  language,  offense  was  taken  at  this 
usage  by  some  of  our  leading  writers  at  the  beginning  of  last 
century,  and  to  this  circumstance  we  must  refer  the  disuse 
of  that  as  the  relative  of  restriction." — Bain's  Grammar. 

"That  can  not  be  preceded  by  a  preposition,  and 
hence  throws  the  preposition  to  the  end.  '  This  is  the  rule 
that  I  adhere  to'  This  is  perfectly  good  English,  though 
sometimes  unnecessarily  avoided." — Abbott's  How  to  Write 
Clearly. 

"  In  every  other  language  the  preposition  is  almost 
constantly  prefixed  to  the  noun  which  [that]  it  governs ;  in 
English  it  is  sometimes  placed  not  only  after  the  noun,  but 
at  a  considerable  distance  from  it,  as  in  the  following  ex- 
ample :  '  The  infirmary  was,  indeed,  never  so  full  as  on 
this  day,  which  I  was  at  some  loss  to  account  for.'  Here 
no  fewer  than  seven  words  intervene  between  the  relative 


294 


THE    VERBALIST. 


which  and  the  preposition  for  belonging  to  it.  One  would 
imagine,  to  consider  the  matter  abstractly,  that  this  could 
not  fail  in  a  language  like  ours,  which  admits  so  few  in- 
flections, to  create  obscurity.  Yet  this  is  seldom,  if  ever, 
the  consequence.  Indeed,  the  singularity  of  the  idiom 
hath  made  some  critics  condemn  it  absolutely.  That  there 
is  nothing  analogous  in  any  known  tongue,  ancient  or 
modern,  hath  appeared  to  them  a  sufficient  reason.  /  own 
it  never  appeared  so  to  me." — Dr.  Campbell's  Rhetoric. 

The  constant  placing  of  the  preposition  before  the  rela- 
tive tends  to  make  a  writer's  style  turgid,  ponderous — 
sometimes,  in  fact,  almost  unidiomatic.  It  makes  one's 
diction  differ  too  widely  from  the  diction  of  everyday  life, 
which  is  the  diction  much  the  best  suited  to  many  kinds  of 
composition. 

The  following  examples,  taken  from  Massinger's  Grand 
Duke  of  Florence,  will  show  what  was  the  usage  of  the 
Elizabethan  writers  : 

"  For  I  must  use  the  freedom  /  was  born  with." 
"  In  that  dumb  rhetoric  which  you  make  use  of." 
"  .  .  .  if  I  had  been  heir 
Of  all  the  globes  and  scepters  mankind  bows  to." 

"...  the  name  of  friend 
Which  you  are  pleased  to  grace  me  with." 
"...  willfully  ignorant,  in  my  opinion, 
Of  what  it  did  invite  him  to." 
"  I  look  to  her  as  on  a  princess 
/  dare  ?wt  be  ambitious  of." 

".  .  .  a  duty 
That  I  was  bom  with." 
So  in  Shakespeare,  to  take  an  example  out  of  many : 
"  To  have  no  screen  between  the  part  he  played 
And  him  he  played  it  for." 


THE    VERBALIST. 


295 


"  Why,  there  is  not  a  single  sentence  in  this  play  that  I 
do  not  know  the  meaning  of!' — Addison. 

"Originality  is  a  thing  we  constantly  clamor  for  and 
constantly  quarrel  with." — Carlyle. 

It  will  be  observed  that  the  relative,  when  it  is  the  ob- 
ject, is  often  omitted. 

"  It  was  not  one  with  which  he  could  find  fault "  ;  bet- 
ter, "  One  he  could  find  fault  with." 

"  It  will  be  a  joy  to  which  I  have  looked  forward  with 
hope  "  ;  better,  "  A  joy  that  I  have  looked  forward  to 
with  hope." 

"  You  are  the  first  one  to  whom  I  have  unburdened  my 
mind  "  ;  better,  "  First  one  I  have  unburdened  my  mind  to." 

"  The  man  to  whom  I  refer  "  ;  better,  "  The  man  I  re- 
fer to." 

"  Don't  whip  with  a  switch  that  has  the  leaves  on  if 
you  want  to  tingle." — Beecher.  How  much  of  its  idio- 
matic terseness  this  sentence  would  lose  if  changed  to, 
"  Don't  whip  with  a  switch  on  which  there  are  leaves,"  or 
on  which  the  leaves  remain,  or  from  which  the  leaves  have 
not  been  removed  ! 

The  more  thought  one  gives  to  the  matter  the  more 
one  will  be  inclined,  I  think,  to  discriminate  in  the  use  of 
the  relative  pronouns,  and  the  less  one  will  be  opposed  to 
that  construction  that  puts  the  governing  preposition  at 
the  end. 

The.  Careless  writers  sometimes  write  sheer  nonsense, 
or  say  something  very  different  from  what  they  have  in 
their  minds,  by  the  simple  omission  of  the  definite  article  ; 
thus,  "  The  indebtedness  of  the  English  tongue  to  the 
French,  Latin  and  Greek  is  disclosed  in  almost  every  sen- 
tence framed."  According  to  this,  there  is  such  a  thing  as 
a  French,  Latin  and  Greek  tongue.     Professor  Townsend 


296  THE    VERBALIST. 

meant  to  say,  "  The  indebtedness  of  the  English  tongue 
to  the  French,  the  Latin,  and  the  Greek,"  etc. 

"  The  old  and  [the]  new  opinions  had  their  active 
partisans  within  the  walls  of  the  college." 

"This  construction,"  Dr.  Hodgson  remarks,  "is  cor- 
rect according  to  some  grammarians,  who  hold  that,  if  the 
noun  is  in  the  plural,  the  article  must  precede  the  first  ad- 
jective only.  But  their  rule  takes  no  account  of  the  am- 
biguity of  such  sentences  as  this :  '  They  drowned  the 
black  and  white  kittens.'  Does  this  mean  '  The  kittens 
that  were  white  with  black  spots,'  or  '  the  kittens  that 
were  white  and  the  kittens  that  were  black '  ?  '  The 
white  and  black  kittens '  in  the  one  case,  and  '  the  white 
and  the  black  kittens'  in  the  other,  leave  no  room  for  am- 
biguity." 

Then.  The  use  of  this  word  as  an  adjective  is  con- 
demned in  very  emphatic  terms  by  some  of  our  grammari- 
ans, and  yet  this  use  of  it  has  the  sanction  of  such  eminent 
writers  as  Addison,  Johnson,  Whately,  and  Sir  J.  Haw- 
kins. Johnson  says,  "  In  his  then  situation,"  which,  if 
brevity  be  really  the  soul  of  wit,  certainly  has  much  more 
soul  in  it  than  "  In  the  situation  he  then  occupied."  How- 
ever, it  is  doubtful  whether  then,  as  an  adjective,  will  ever 
again  find  favor  with  careful  writers. 

Thence.    See  Whence. 

Think  for.  We  not  infrequently  hear  a  superfluous 
for  tacked  to  a  sentence  ;  thus,  "  You  will  find  that  he 
knows  more  about  the  affair  than  you  think  for." 

"  These  men,  if  you  watch  them,  you  will  see  have  an 
eye  to   business   in    everything,   and,    content  with    small 
profits  and  quick  turns,  they  make  in  speculation   in  the 
street  or  in  pools  more  than   people  think  for." — N.  Y 
Times. 


THE    VERBALIST.  297 

Those  kind.  "  Those  kind  of  apples  are  best "  :  read, 
"That  kind  of  apples  is  best."  It  is  truly  remarkable  that 
many  persons  who  can  justly  lay  claim  to  the  possession  of 
considerable  culture  use  this  barbarous  combination.  It 
would  be  just  as  correct  to  say,  "  Those  flock  of  geese,"  or 
"Those  or  these  drove  of  cattle,"  as  to  say,  "Those  or 
these  sort  or  kind  of  people." 

A  plural  pronoun  and  a  singular  noun  do  not  go  well 
together. 

Threadbare  quotations.  Among  the  things  that  are 
in  bad  taste  in  speaking  and  writing,  the  use  of  threadbare 
quotations  and  expressions  is  in  the  front  rank.  Some  of 
these  use's  et  cassis  old-timers  are  the  following  : 

"  Their  name  is  legion  "  ;  "  Hosts  of  friends  "  ;  "  The 
upper  ten";  "Variety  is  the  spice  of  life";  "Distance 
lends  enchantment  to  the  view  "  ;  "A  thing  of  beauty  is  a 
joy  for  ever"  ;  "  The  light  fantastic  toe  "  ;  "  Own  the  soft 
impeachment "  ;  "  Fair  women  and  brave  men  "  ;  "  Revelry 
by  night "  ;  "  A  rose  by  any  other  name  would  smell  as 
sweet." 

Through.  When  used  in  the  sense  of  have  finished  is 
an  Americanism.  The  locution  "  I  am  through  "  is  seldom 
heard  in  Great  Britain. 

Tidings.     See  News. 

To.  We  often  find  to,  when  the  dgn  of  the  infinitive, 
separated  by  an  adverb  from  the  verb  to  which  it  belongs. 
Prof.  A.  P.  Peabody  says  that  no  standard  English  writer 
makes  this  mistake,  and  that,  as  far  as  he  knows,  it  occurs 
frequently  with  but  one  respectable  American  writer. 

"  To,  as  the  sign  of  the  infinitive,"  says  Godfrey  Turner, 
"  as  in  to  think,  to  write,  to  say,  is  as  much  a  part  or  particle 
of  the  verb  as  it  would  be  if  placed  at  the  end  as  an  inflec- 
tion.    We  should  not  do  amiss,  I  think,  were  we  to  join  it 
20 


298 


THE    VERBALIST. 


on  with  a  hyphen  ;  thus,  to-think,  to-write,  to-say.  There 
are  authors,  however,  who  carelessly  or  conceitedly  break 
up  what  is  to  all  intents  and  purposes  one  word,  by  wedg- 
ing an  adverb  into  its  body.  The  habitual  phrasing  of  such 
writers  is  '  to  mathematically  think,'  '  to  elegantly  write,' 
'  to  cogently  say.'  Not  only  adverbs,  but  whole  adverbial 
phrases,  are  now  thrust  between  the  particle  to  and  the 
main  body  of  the  verb.  '  To  in  a  certain  measure  accept' 
is  a  fine  specimen,  which  I  captured  a  few  days  ago  in  the 
jungle  of  a  leading  article." 

Careful  writers  and  speakers  separate  to  from  the  infini- 
tive mood  only  when  they  have  some  special  reason  for 
doing  so.  It  is  one  of  the  things  that  every  dictionist  now- 
adays seeks  to  avoid. 

"  To  never  more  [never  more  to]  engage  with  so  decep- 
tive an  adversary." — Phila.  Ledger. 

"  The  bill  is  described  as  an  act  to  better  [better  to]  pro- 
tect public  morals." 

"  There  is  a  disposition  not  to  tamely  [tamely  to]  yield." 
— N.  Y.  Sun. 

"  It  would  puzzle  the  average  lawyer  to  prope)-ly  [prop- 
erly to]  determine,"  etc. — Evening  Sun. 

"Admiral  S.  will  go  to  Formosa  to  formally  [formally 
to]  annex  the  island." — N.  Y.  Sun. 

"  It  is  said  that  China  hopes  to  easily  [easily  to]  procure 
in  France  funds  to  enable  her  to  promptly  [promptly  to] 
pay  the  indemnity." — N.  Y.  Sun. 

It  is  a  rule  of  grammar  that  to,  the  sign  of  the  infinitive 
mood,  should  not  be  used  for  the  infinitive  itself  ;  thus,  "  He 
has  not  done  it,  nor  is  he  likely  to."  Strictly,  "  nor  is  he 
likely  to  do  it."  To  observe  this  rule  always  would  be 
rather  pedantic. 

Very  often  to  is  misused  for  at ;  thus,  "  I  have  been  to 


THE    VERBALIST. 


299 


the  theater,  to  church,  to  my  uncle's,  to  a  concert,"  and  so 
on.  In  all  these  cases  the  preposition  to  use  is  clearly  at, 
and  not  to.     See  also  And. 

Often  used  redundantly  ;  as,  "  Where  are  you  going 
to}  "     "  Where  have  you  been  to?  " 

To  the  fore.  An  old  idiomatic  phrase,  now  freely 
used  again. 

Tongue.  "  Much  tongue  and  much  judgment  seldom 
go  together." — L'Estrange.  See  Language.    See  page  324. 

Toward.  Those  that  profess  to  know  about  such 
things  say  that  etymology  furnishes  no  pretext  for  the  add- 
ing of  j  to  ward  in  such  words  as  backward,  forward,  to- 
ward, upward,  onward,  downward,  after-ward,  heavenward, 
earthward,  and  the  like. 

Transferred  epithet.  This  is  the  shifting  of  a  qualify- 
ing word  from  its  proper  subject  to  some  allied  subject. 
Examples : 

"  The  little  fields  made  green 
By  husbandry  of  many  thrifty  years'' 
"  He  plods  his  weary  way."  "  Hence  to  your  idle  l>ed\" 
By  this  figure  the  diction  is  rendered  more  terse  and 
vigorous ;  it  is  much  used  in  verse.  For  the  sake  of 
conciseness,  it  is  used  in  prose  in  such  phrases  as  the 
lunatic  asylum,  the  criminal  coutt,  the  condemned  cell,  the 
blind  asylum,  the  cholera  hospital,  the  foundling  asylum, 
and  the  like. 

"  Still  in  harmonious  intercourse  they  lived 
The  rural  day,  and  talked  the  flowing  heart." 

"  There  be  some  who  [that],  with  everything  to  make 
them  happy,  plod  their  discontented  and  melancholy  way 
through  life,  less  grateful  than  the  dog  that  licks  the  hand 
that  feeds  it." 

Transpire.     This  is  one  of  the  most  frequently  mis- 


300  THE    VERBALIST. 

used  words  jn  the  language.  Its  primary  meaning  is,  to 
evaporate  insensibly  through  the  pores,  but  in  this  sense  it 
is  not  used ;  in  this  sense  we  use  its  twin  sister,  jVrspire. 
7'ratispire  is  now  properly  used  in  the  sense  of  to  escape 
from  secrecy  ;  to  become  known  ;  to  leak  out ;  and  improp- 
eily  used  in  the  sense  of  to  occur  ;  to  happen  ;  to  come  to 
pass,  and  to  elapse. 

The  word  is  correctly  used  thus :  "  You  will  not  let  a 
word  concerning  the  matter  transpire "  ;  "  It  transpires 
[leaks  out]  that  S.  &  B.  control  the  enterprise  "  ;  "  Soon 
after  the  funeral  it  transpired  [became  known]  that  the 
dead  woman  was  alive  "  ;  "  It  has  transpired  [leaked  out] 
that  the  movement  originated  with  John  Blank  "  ;  "  No  re- 
port of  the  proceedings  was  allowed  to  transpire" ;  "It 
has  not  yet  transpired  who  the  candidate  is  to  be  "  ;  "  At 
the  examination  it  transpired  that  Pook  has  a  wife  and 
four  children." 

The  word  is  incorrectly  used  thus  : 

"The  Mexican  war  transpired  in  1847";  "The  drill 
will  transpire  under  shelter "  ;  "  The  accident  transpired 
one  day  last  week  "  ;  "  Years  will  transpire  before  it  will 
be  finished  "  ;  "  More  than  a  century  transpired  before  it 
was  revisited  by  civilized  man." 

"  The  verb  transpire  formerly  conveyed  very  expressively 
its  correct  meaning,  viz.,  to  become  known  through  un- 
noticed channels ;  to  exhale,  as  it  were,  into  publicity 
through  invisible  pores,  like  a  vapor  or  [a]  gas  disengaging 
itself.  But  of  late  a  practice  has  commenced  of  employing 
this  word  ...  as  a  mere  synonym  of  to  happen.  This 
vile  specimen  of  bad  English  is  already  seen  in  the  dis- 
patches of  noblemen  and  viceroys." — Mill. 

Mr.  Edgar  Fawcett  uses  transpire  in  a  manner  peculiarly 
his  own,  as  we  see  by  the  following  example  : 


THE    VERBA  LIST. 


3d 


"  My  indignation  had  meanwhile  transpired,  and  gossip 
boiled  and  bubbled  at  The  Metropolitan." 

Trifling  minutiae.  The  meaning  of  trifles  and  the 
meaning  of  minutia  are  so  nearly  the  same  that  no  one 
probably  ever  uses  the  phrase  trifling  minutia:  except  from 
thoughtlessness. 

Trustworthy.     See  Reliable. 

Try.  This  word  is  often  improperly  used  for  make. 
We  make  experiments,  not  try  them,  which  is  as  incorrect 
as  it  would  be  to  say,  try  the  attempt,  or  the  trial. 

Try  and.  Often  very  improperly  used  for  try  to.  We 
try  to  be  on  time,  to  know  our  lessons,  to  speak  correctly,  to 
do  our  best,  etc. 

Twice  over.  The  over,  in  a  sentence  like  the  follow- 
ing, serves  no  purpose  : 

"  Now,  to  say  a  thing  twice  over  in  different  ways  is  as 
much  a  waste  of  energy  as,"  etc. — Dr.  Hodgson. 

Say  over  is  used  here,  it  will  be  seen,  in  the  sense  of  ex- 
press. 

Ugly.  In  England  this  word  is  restricted  to  meaning 
ill-favored  ;  with  us  it  is  often  used — and  not  without  au- 
thority— in  the  sense  of  ill-tempered,  vicious,  unmanage- 
able. H.  Reeves  says  that  a  British  traveler,  walking  one 
day  in  the  suburbs  of  Boston,  saw  a  woman  whipping  a 
screaming  child.  "Good  woman,"  said  he,  "  why  do  you 
whip  fie  boy  so  severely?"  She  answered,  "  Because  he 
is  so  ugly."  The  Englishman  walked  on,  and  put  down 
in  his  journal :  "  Mem.  American  mothers  are  so  cruel  as 
to  whip  their  children  because  they  are  not  handsome." 

Unbeknown.  This  word  is  no  longer  used  except  by 
the  unschooled. 

Underhanded.  This  word,  though  found  in  the  dic- 
tionaries, is  a  vulgarism,   and  as  such  is  to  be    avoided 


:>0~>  THE    VERBALIST. 

The  proper  word  is  underhand.  An  underhand,  not  an 
underhanded,  proceeding. 

Under  his  signature.    See  Signature. 

Understand.  Sometimes  improperly  used  in  the  locu- 
tion understand  about,  which  is  un idiomatic  ;  the  proper 
word  to  use  being  know,  as  in  the  sentence,  "  A  large  num- 
ber of  our  graduates  certainly  understand  a  great  deal 
about  the  subject." 

Under  the  circumstances.  "  How  few,"  says  Prof. 
Hodgson,  "  perceive  the  false  metaphor  of  under  the  cir- 
cumstances— i.  e.,  the  surroundings." 

"  Mere  situation  is  expressed  by  '  in  the  circumstances ' ; 
action  affected  is  performed  '  under  the  circumstances.' " — 
Murray's  New  English  Dictionary. 

The  French  say,  "  in  the  circumstances." 

Unique.  Sometimes  improperly  used  in  the  sense  of 
beautiful.  Properly,  the  word  means  singular ;  uncom- 
mon ;  rare  ;  unlike  anything  else. 

Universal— All.  "  He  is  universally  esteemed  by  all 
who  know  him."  If  he  is  universally  esteemed,  he  must 
be  esteemed  by  all  who  know  him  ;  and  if  he  is  esteemed 
by  all  who  know  him,  he  must  be  universally  esteemed. 
Say,  therefore,  "  He  is  universally  esteemed,"  or  "  He  is 
esteemed  by  all  who  know  him."  Either  expression  covers 
the  whole  ground. 

Unless.     Sometimes,  though  rarely,  misused  for  except- 

"  He  did  not  ask  her  to  be  his  wife  unless  [except]  in 
public." — Paris  Corr.  N.  Y.  Tribune. 

Upon.  Much  used  where  on  would  be  more  in  accord- 
ance with  the  best  usage.  We  call  on  persons,  and  speak 
on  subjects. 

Upward  of.  This  phrase  is  often  used,  if  not  im- 
properly, at  least  inelegantly,  for  more  than  ;  thus,  "  I  have 


THE    VERBALIST. 


303 


been  here  for  upward  of  a.  year"  ;  "  For  upward  of  three 
quarters  of  a  century  she  has,"  etc.,  meaning,  for  more  than 
three  quarters  of  a  century. 

Usage.  Sometimes  misused  for  use,  though  the  two 
words  are  widely  different  in  meaning.  A  near  synonym 
of  usage  is  custom.  "With  the  National  Assembly  of 
France,  law  and  usage  [or  custom]  are  nothing."  A  near 
synonym  of  use  is  utility.  "  The  Greeks,  in  the  heroic 
age,  seem  to  have  been  acquainted  with  the  use  [or  utility] 
of  iron." 

Strangely  enough,  Dr.  Hodgson  frequently  makes  this 
error  in  his  Errors  in  the  Use  of  English.     He  writes  : 

"  Concerning  the  usage  of  either  and  neither  as  conjunc- 
tions," etc.  "  But  this  usage  [of  pnedicare]  never  found 
favor  with  classic  writers  either  in  Latin  or  in  English." 
"  This  usage  [of  ambition  as  a  verb]  occurs  frequently  in 
the  Sub-Alpine  Kingdom  of  Mr.  Bayle  St.  John." 

Use  to.  Properly,  used  to.  "  We  used  to  live  there  "  ; 
not,  we  use  to  live  there. 

Usually.    See  Generally. 

Utter.  This  verb  is  often  misused  for  say,  express. 
To  utter  means  to  speak,  to  pronounce  ;  and  its  derivative 
utterance  means  the  act,  manner,  or  power  of  uttering, 
vocal  expression  ;  as,  "  the  utterance  of  articulate  sounds." 
We  utter  a  cry  ;  express  a  thought  or  sentiment  ;  speak  our 
mind  ;  and,  though  prayers  are  said,  they  may  be  uttered 
in  a  certain  tone  or  mariner.  "  Mr.  Blank  is  right  in  all  he 
utters  "  :  read  says.  "  The  court  uttered  a  sentiment  that 
all  will  applaud"  :  read,  expressed  a.  sentiment. 

The  primary  meaning  of  the  adjective  utter  is  outer,  on 
the  outside  ;  but  it  is  no  longer  used  in  this  sense.  It  is 
now  used  in  the  sense  of  complete,  total,  perfect,  mere,  en- 
tire ;  but  he  that  uses  it  indiscriminately  as  a  synonym  of 


304  THE    VERBALIST. 

these  words  will  frequently  utter  utter  nonsense— i.  e.,  he 
will  utter  that  that  is  without  the  pale  of  sense.  For 
example,  we  can  not  say  titter  concord,  but  we  can  say  utter 
discord — i.  e.,  without  the  pale  of  concord. 

Valuable.  The  following  sentence,  which  recently  ap- 
peared in  one  of  the  more  fastidious  of  our  morning  papers, 
is  offered  as  an  example  of  extreme  slipshodness  in  the  use 
of  language :  "  Sea  captains  are  among  the  most  valuable 
contributors  to  the  Park  aviary."  What  the  writer  proba- 
bly meant  to  say  is,  "  Sea  captains  are  among  those  whose 
contributions  to  the  Park  aviary  are  the  most  valuable."  A 
valued  contributor  would  be  quite  correct.  So,  also,  we 
say  properly,  "  A  valued  friend." 

Vast.  This  word  is  often  met  with  in  forcible-feeble 
diction,  where  it  is  used  instead  of  great  or  large  to  qualify 
such  words  as  number,  majority,  multitude,  and  the  like. 
Big  words  and  expletives  should  be  used  only  where  they 
are  really  needed  ;  where  they  are  not  really  needed  they 
go  wide  of  the  object  aimed  at.  The  sportsman  that 
hunts  small  game  with  buckshot  comes  home  empty- 
handed. 

Venal — Mercenary.  Venal  signifies,  Ready  to  be 
sold  ;  and  applied  to  persons,  as  it  commonly  is  applied,  it  is 
a  much  stronger  term  than  mercenary.  Persons  that  are 
venal  are  without  principle.  A  mercenary  spirit  is  engen- 
dered in  those  that  devote  themselves  exclusively  to  trade. 
A  person  too  studious  of  profit  is  mercenary. 

Venial.  This  word,  so  like  venal  in  appearance,  is 
wholly  unlike  it  in  meaning.  What  may  be  tolerated  with- 
out express  disparagement  or  direct  censure  is  venial.  Gar- 
rulity is  a  venial  offence  in  old  age.  The  synonyms  of 
venial  are  excusable  and  pardonable,  the  two  latter  being 
the  stronger  terms. 


THE    VERBALIST.  305 

Veracity.  This  word,  which  means,  The  quality  of 
being  truthful,  is  sometimes  misused  for  truth,  thus  : 

"  There  was  no  reason  to  doubt  the  veracity  [tru'h]  of 
those  facts." — Addison. 

"  These  two  points  have  no  more  to  do  with  the  veracity 
[truth]  of  the  Christian  religion  than  chemistry  [has]." 

Truth  may  be  used  in  speaking  both  of  persons  and  of 
facts,  while  veracity  is  properly  used  only  of  persons. 

"  The  truth  of  the  story  is  admitted  on  the  veracity  of 
the  narrator." 

In  the  phrase  so  often  heard,  "A  man  of  truth  and 
veracity, "veracity  is  entirely  superfluous,  it  having  the  same 
meaning  as  truth. 

Verbal.  In  strictness  this  word  should  not  be  used  in 
the  sense  of  oral,  but  its  use  in  this  sense  is  sanctioned  by 
the  best  writers  in  the  language,  and  also  by  the  diction- 
aries. 

"Without  sending  as  much  as  a  verbal  message  to  Mrs. 
Slope's  note." 

A  message  in  -words,  no  matter  how  sent,  is  a  verbal 
message. 

Verbal  ellipses.  We  frequently,  and  very  properly, 
omit  a  verb  in  one  clause  of  a  sentence,  but  the  ellipsis  is 
permissible  only  when  the  form  of  the  verb  in  the  other 
clause  is  such  that  it  could  take  the  place  of  the  omitted 
verb  without  any  change  of  form  ;  thus,  "  I  am  surprised 
that  he  has  acted  as  he  has."  "  Have  you  not  sworn  alle- 
giance to  me?  "     "  I  have." 

The  following  are  some  examples  of  faulty  ellipsis  : 

"  But  you  will  bear  it  as  you  have  [borne]  so  many 
things." 

"  I  am  anxious  for  the  time  [to  come]  when  he  will  talk 
as  much  nonsense  to  me  as  I  have  [talked]  to  him." 


3o6 


THE    VERBALIST. 


"  That  foreign  taste  may  have  [exercised]  and  did  exer- 
cise a  powerful  influence,  is  doubtless  true." 

"  Some  part  of  the  exemption  and  liability  may  [be], 
and  no  doubt  is,  due  to  mental  and  physical  causes." 

"  Blake  wrote  and  drew  with  marvelous  genius,  but  I 
doubt  whether  any  one  has  [followed]  or  would  care  to  fol- 
low in  his  steps." 

"  He  ridicules  the  notion  that  truth  will  prevail ;  it 
never  has  [prevailed],  and  it  never  will  [prevail]." 

"  I  never  have  [attacked]  and  never  will  attack  a  man 
for  speculative  opinions." 

Verbal  nouns.  Often  where  we  find  a  simple  noun, 
a  verb  in  some  shape  is  required  in  order  properly  to  ex- 
press 'the  thought  intended.  In  such  cases  a  verbal  [parti- 
cipial] noun  will  commonly  suffice,  though  often  a  simple 
participle,  and  sometimes  a  verb  in  the  infinitive,  would 
better  the  diction. 

"  The  compiler's  part  has  been  limited,  first,  to  the  selec- 
tion of  the  objects  of  portraiture  ;  secondly,  the  choice  of 
the  historians  from  whom  extracts  should  be  made  ;  and, 
third,  the  preparation  of  short  prefatory  notes  restricted  to 
an  outline  of  dates  and  incidents." — N.  Y.  Sun. 

Not  so.  The  compiler's  part  has  been  limited  to  the 
selecting,  the  choosing,  and  the  preparing.  True,  the  writ- 
er's diction  is  very  common  ;  we  see  it  every  day  and  every- 
where, but  that  does  not  make  it  correct.  The  compiler's 
part  was  to  do  something,  and  we  can  not  express  doing 
with  a  simple  noun.  If  the  writer  had  taken  more  time  he 
would  probably  have  written  objects  to  portray  instead  of 
objects  of  portraiture. 

"  We  infer  from  the  bold  attitude  of  the  Union  Leaguers 
in  regard  to  the  taxation  [taxing]  of  the  liquor  traffic  that 
the  club  means  at  last  to  apply  for  a  license." — N.  Y.  Sun. 


THE    VERBALIST.  307 

"  The  Government  refuses  to  accept  the  proposals  for 
an  arrangement  touching  the  national  debt,  the  construction 
[constructing]  of  a  railroad  to  Quito,  and  the  establishment 
[establishing]  of  an  official  bank." 

"  The  organization  created  for  the  completion  of  [to  com- 
plete] the  fund  is  now  moving." 

"  Although  the  fund  required  for  the  completion  of  [to 
complete]  this  monumental  tomb,"  etc.  The  participial 
form  would  do,  but  the  infinitive  is  very  much  better.  See 
Noun  Construction. 

Verbiage.  An  unnecessary  profusion  of  words  is  called 
verbiage :  verbosity,  wordiness. 

"  I  thought  what  I  read  of  it  verbiage." — Johnson. 
Sometimes  a  better  name  than  verbiage  for  wordiness 
would  be  emptiness.     Witness  : 

"Clearness  maybe  developed  and  cultivated  in  three 
ways,  (a)  By  constantly  practicing  in  heart  and  life  the 
thoughts  and  ways  of  honesty  and  frankness."  The  first 
sentence  evidently  means,  "  Clearness  may  be  attained  in 
three  ways "  ;  but  what  the  second  sentence  means — if  it 
means  anything — is  more  than  I  can  tell.  Professor  L.  T. 
Townsend,  Art  of  Speech,  vol.  i,  p.  130,  adds:  "This 
may  be  regarded  as  the  surest  path  to  greater  transparency 
of  style."  The  transparency  of  Dr.  Townsend's  style  is 
peculiar.  Also,  p.  144,  we  find:  "The  laws  and  rules' 
thus  far  laid  down 2  furnish  ample  foundation  for 3  the  gen- 
eral statement  that  an  easy  and  natural4  expression,  an 
exact  verbal  incarnation  of  one's  thinking,5  together  with 
the  power  of  using  appropriate  figures,  and  of  making 
nice  discriminations  between  approximate  synonyms,8 
each  being  an  important  factor  in  correct  siyle,  are 
attained  in  two  ways:1  (1)  Through  moral8  and  men- 
tal   discipline;   (2)    Through    continuous    and    intimate* 


308  THE    VERBALIST. 

acquaintance  with  such  authors  as  best  exemplify  those 
attainments."  10 

i.  Would  not  la?vs  cover  the  whole  ground?  2.  En 
passant  I  would  remark  that  Dr.  Townsend  did  not  make 
these  laws,  though  he  so  intimates.  3.  I  suggest  the  word 
justify  in  place  of  these  four.  4.  What  is  natural  is  easy  ; 
easy,  therefore,  is  superfluous.  5.  If  this  means  anything, 
it  does  not  mean  more  than  the  adjective  clear  would  ex- 
press, if  properly  used  in  the  sentence.  6.  Approximate 
synonyms  !  !  Who  ever  heard  of  any  antagonistic  or  even 
of  dissimilar  synonyms  ?  7.  The  transparency  of  this  sen- 
tence is  not  unlike  the  transparency  of  corrugated  glass. 
8.  What  has  morality  to  do  with  correctness  ?  9.  An  in- 
timate acquaintance  would  suffice  for  most  people.  10. 
Those  attainments !  What  are  they  ?  Dr.  Townsend's 
corrugated  style  makes  it  hard  to  tell. 

This  paragraph  is  so  badly  conceived  throughout  that 
it  is  well-nigh  impossible  to  make  head,  middle,  or  tail  of 
it ;  still,  if  I  am  at  all  successful  in  guessing  what  Professor 
Townsend  wanted  to  say  in  it,  then — when  shorn  of  its 
redundancy  and  high-flown  emptiness — it  will  read  some- 
what like  this:  "The  laws  thus  far  presented  justify  the 
general  statement  that  a  clear  and  natural  mode  of  ex- 
pression— together  with  that  art  of  using  appropriate  figures 
and  that  ability  properly  to  discriminate  between  synonyms 
that  are  necessary  to  correctness — is  attained  in  two  ways  : 
(1)  By  mental  discipline  ;  (2;  By  the  study  of  our  best 
authors." 

The  following  sentence  is  from  a  leading  magazine  :  "  If 
we  begin  a  system  of  interference,  regulating  men's  gains, 
bolstering  here,  in  order  to  strengthen  this  interest,  [and]  re- 
pressing elsezvhere  [there],  in  order  to  equalize  wealth,  we 
shall  do  an  [a]  immense  deal  of  mischief,  and  without  bring- 


THE    VERBALIST. 


309 


ing  about  a  more  agreeable  condition  of  things  than  now 
[we]  shall  simply  discourage  enterprise,  repress  industry, 
and  check  material  growth  in  all  directions."  Read  with- 
out the  eighteen  words  in  italics  and  with  the  four  inclosed. 

"  Nothing  disgusts  sooner  than  the  empty  pomp  of  lan- 
guage." 

"  The  rule  now,"  Godfrey  Turner  says,  "  is  to  speak  as 
verbosely  as  possible.  We  say,  '  A  certain  person  informed 
me  that  such  was  the  case,'  when  there  was  no  case,  when 
the  person  was  not  certain,  when  he  may  or  may  not  have 
been  a  person,  and  when  he  neither  did  nor  could  inform. 
The  old  way  of  speaking  would  have  been,  '  somebody  told 
me  so.'  This  is  sense  and  grammar  ;  there  are  four  words 
instead  of  ten  to  speak,  sixteen  letters  instead  of  forty-two 
to  write  ;  and,  written  or  said,  there  is  precision  against 
gibberish." 

Men  that  write  in  this  manner  never  would  have  any 
idea  of  the  true  art  of  expression,  if  they  were  to  continue 
to  write  till  doomsday.  They  always  lack  that  without 
which  no  man  ever  writes  really  well — the  gift  of  clear- 
seeing  ;  a  thing  it  would  be  impossible  to  convince  them  of, 
because  they  see  what  they  see  to  see,  and  what  they  see 
they  think  is  all  there  is  to  see.  They  belong  to  a  class  of 
persons  that  find  felicity  in  ignorance,  and  they  are  com- 
monly so  panoplied  with  conceit  that  nothing  can  lessen 
their  estimate  of  their  merits. 

Very.  "  In  the  third  edition  of  Professor  Maximilian 
Miiller's  Lectures  on  the  Science  of  Language  we  are  in- 
formed that  '  in  fact,  very  pleased  and  very  delighted  are 
Americanisms  that  may  be  heard  even  in  this  country.'  .  .  . 
The  phrases  just  named  become,  however,  in  Professor  Miil- 
ler's fourth  edition,  simply  '  expressions  that  may  be  heard 
in  many  drawing-rooms.'  .  .  .  And  there  they  were  heard, 


31  o  THE    VERBALIST. 

without  question,  four  or  five  centuries  ago." — Fitz-Edward 
Hall.  "  Before  participles,  very  is  followed  by  much,  or, 
more  rarely,  by  some  nearly  equivalent  adverb." — Web- 
ster. 

"  This  little  word  is  often  used  in  the  English  language 
when  a  sentence  would  be  much  stronger  and  the  meaning 
much  more  forcible  without  it.  If  a  man  has  not  much 
hair  on  the  top  of  his  head,  it  is  not  enough  for  people  to 
say  simply  that  he  is  bald  :  he  is  very  bald.  A  man  is  not 
stingy  :  he  is  very  stingy — when  the  one  good  strong  word 
'  stingy  '  would  put  the  whole  point  forcibly.  A  doctor  of 
divinity  is  not  learned,  but  very  learned  ;  a  doctor  of 
medicine  is  not  crotchety — he  is  very  crotchety  ;  while  a 
lawyer  is  not  cunning,  but  very  cunning.  In  the  same  way, 
a  young  lady  is  not  handsome,  but  very  handsome.  The 
qualifier  has  become  so  common  that  it  is  weakening  to 
the  word  it  is  joined  to.  In  nine  cases  out  of  ten  where 
very  is  used  to  intensify  human  speech,  a  single,  bold  word 
without  the  very  would  hit  the  meaning  like  a  hammer, 
and  drive  it  home  with  a  directness  unknown  to  clogged 
and  hampered  expression. 

"  Very  seems  to  be  a  word  designed  by  Providence  for 
young  ladies  to  express  their  feelings  with.  This  portion  of 
the  community  probably  could  not  get  on  without  their  ad- 
verb, but  the  English  of  the  rest  of  the  race  would  be 
strengthened  if  the  little  qualifier  were  delegated  almost 
wholly  to  the  fair  class  to  whom  it  belongs.  It  creeps  into 
our  literature  as  insidiously  as  the  measles  into  a  family  of 
fifteen,  and,  once  there,  it  stays  like  an  office-seeker.  It 
breaks  out  everywhere,  even  in  the  most  high-toned  and 
'  cultivated '  writing.  A  newspaper  that  is  authority  on  the 
art  of  literary  composition  prints,  for  instance,  a  thrilling 
description  of  a  brilliant   party.     Every  lady  present  was 


THE    VERBALIST.  311 

very  much  this  or  that.  Mrs.  Blank,  who  was  a  very  inti- 
mate friend  of  Mrs.  General  Dash,  wore  a  very  handsome 
green  satin  dress,  and  had  a  veiy  handsome  silver  comb  in 
her  back  hair.  Mrs.  General  Dash  wore  an  exceedingly 
becoming  dress,  which  was  very  elaborately  made.  Two 
young  ladies,  whose  dresses  were  exceedingly  becoming 
and  very  graceful,  were  accompanied  by  a  young  man  who 
had  a  very  light  mustache.  Everybody  was  either  very, 
or  exceedingly,  or  most  highly  something.  The  air  bristled 
with  superlatives. 

"  It  combines  instruction  with  amusement  to  count  the 
veries  in  a  column  of  newspaper  advertisements.  A  '  gen- 
eral housework '  applicant  is  not  content  with  being  a  re- 
spectable woman  and  a  good  cook  ;  she  is  a  very  respecta- 
ble woman  and  a  very  good  cook.  It  is  enough,  in  all 
conscience,  to  be  said  of  a  woman  that  she  is  a  superior 
waitress.  Superior  itself  means  better  than  good,  but  this 
uncommon  waitress  tacks  on  the  word  very,  too,  and  thus 
becomes  very  better  than  good. 

41  The  climax  of  veriness  is  reached,  however,  by  a  girl. 
She  is  'a  very  competent  cook,  understands  waiting  at 
table  in  a  very  efficient  manner,  and  is  in  all  respects  very 
first-class.'  '  In  all  respects  very  first-class  qualifications ' 
is  good.  It  is  only  equaled  by  the  young  man  who  was  a 
very  perfect  horseman  and  rode  a  very  black  horse.  A  fine 
example,  too,  of  the  redundant  very  is  the  reply  of  the  old 
tsr  that  was  blown  overboard  at  Trafalgar,  and  long  after- 
ward, being  asked  by  a  sympathetic  lady  how  he  felt  on 
that  occasion,  answered,  '  Wet,  ma'am,  very  wet.' " — Cin- 
cinnati Commercial. 

Vice.     See  Crime. 

Vicinity.  This  word  is  sometimes  incorrectly  used 
without  the  possessive  pronoun  ;    thus,  "  Washington  and 


312 


THE    VERBALIST. 


vicinity,"  instead  of  "  Washington  and  its  vicinity."  The 
primary  meaning  of  vicinity  is  nearness,  proximity. 

Vicinity  does  not  express  so  close  a  connection  as 
neighborhood,  which  is  employed  more  especially  to  inhabited 
places.  Vicinity  is  employed  to  denote  nearness  of  one 
locality  to  another.  We  could,  therefore,  say,  "  I  live  in  a 
quiet  neighborhood  in  the  vicinity  of  Boston." 

"  The  Dutch,  by  the  vicinity  of  their  settlements  to  the 
coast,  gradually  engrossed  the  cocoa  trade." 

"  When  the  house  was  discovered  to  be  on  fire,  every  one 
in  the  neighborhood  hastened  to  give  assistance." 

"  For  the  thirty-six  hours  ending  at  8  p.  M.  on  Wednes- 
day for  New  York  and  [its,  or  the]  vicinity,"  etc. — N.  Y. 
Evening  Sun. 

The  morning  Sun  always  writes,  "  and  its  vicinity." 

Vocation — Avocation.  These  words  are  frequently 
confounded.  A  man's  vocation  is  his  profession,  his  call- 
ing, his  business  ;  and  his  avocations  are  the  things  that 
occupy  him  incidentally.  Mademoiselle  Bernhardt's  voca. 
Hon  is  acting  ;  her  avocations  are  painting  and  sculpture. 
See  Avocation. 

Voice.     Often  misused  for  tone,  thus : 

"  I  made  no  application,"  Mr.  Ilenriques  broke  in  in  a 
loud  voice,  "  and  when  Laidlaw  says  that  I  did,  he,"  etc.— 
N.  Y.  Times. 

Should  be,  "  in  a  loud  tone  of  voice,"  or  "  in  a  loud 
tone." 

"  But  the  words  were  spoken  without  the  accompani- 
ments of  languishing  eyes  and  sympathetic  voice  [tones]." — 
Hammond. 

With  tones  the  "  balance"  of  the  sentence  is  much  irr- 
proved. 

Vulgar.     By  the  many,  this  word  is  probably  more  fre- 


THE    VERBALIST. 


313 


quently  used  improperly  than  properly.  As  a  noun,  it 
means  the  common  people,  the  lower  orders,  the  multitude, 
the  many  ;  as  an  adjective,  it  means  coarse,  low,  unrefined, 
as,  "  the  vulgar  people."  The  sense  in  which  it  is  misused 
is  that  of  immodest,  indecent. 

"  The  word  '  vulgarity '  was  formerly  thought  to  mean 
indecent  ;  now  it  means  simply  bad  manners.  To  be  vul- 
gar is  to  be  inadmissible  to  society.  Vulgar  people  are 
low,  mean,  coarse,  plebeian,  no  matter  where  the  ever-turn- 
ing wheel  of  fortune  has  placed  them." — The  Queen. 

Was.  "He  said  he  had  come  to  the  conclusion  that 
there  was  no  God."  "  The  greatest  of  Byron's  works  was 
his  whole  work  taken  together." — Matthew  Arnold.  What 
is  true  at  all  times  should  be  expressed  by  using  the  verb 
in  the  present  tense.  The  sentences  above  should  read  is, 
not  was. 

"  There  have  been  some  men  who  denied  that  there  was 
[is]  a  God." — Capel. 

Was  given.    Tendered,  or  presented.     See  Passive. 

Way.  Often  used  for  away,  in  such  sentences  as, 
"  Way  down  East,"  "  From  way  back,"  "  lie  made  way  with 
the  money."     In  strictness,  the  word  to  use  is  away. 

Ways.  Erroneously  used  for  way  ;  as,  ll  The  river  is  a 
long  ways  off." 

Well.  "  Used  by  Americans  with  peculiar  fondness  to 
begin  almost  every  sentence,  especially  an  answer  to  a 
question.  This  custom  seems  to  have  originated  in  New 
England,  where  it  still  most  generally  prevails,  in  order  to 
gain  time  before  replying,  as  the  Yankee  is  accused  of  an- 
swering only  with  a  new  question." — De  Vere. 

Wharf.     See  Dock. 

What.  "  He  would  not  believe  but  what  I  did  it  "  : 
read,  but  that.  "I  do  not  doubt  but  what  I  shall  goto 
21 


3I4  THE    VERBALIST. 

Boston  to-morrow  "  :  read,  doubt  that.  We  say  properly, 
"  I  have  nothing  but  what  you  see"  ;  "  You  have  brought 
everything  but  what  I  wanted." 

We  sometimes  hear  a  redundant  what  in  sentences  like 
these:  "I  have  read  more  than  what  you  think  I  have." 
"  They  were  no  larger  than  what  he  was." 

Whence.  As  this  adverb  means,  unaided,  from  what 
place,  source,  or  cause,  it  is,  as  Dr.  Johnson  styled  it,  "  a 
vicious  mode  of  speech"  to  say  from  whence,  Milton  to  the 
contrary  notwithstanding.  Nor  is  there  any  more  propriety 
in  the  phrase  from  thence,  as  thence  means,  unaided,  from 
that  place.  "  Whence  do  you  come  ?"  not  "  From  whence 
do  you  come?"  Likewise,  "  He  went  hence,"  not  "from 
hence." 

Whether.  This  conjunction  is  often  improperly  re- 
peated in  a  sentence  ;  thus,  "  I  have  not  decided  whether 
I  shall  go  to  Boston  or  whether  I  shall  go  to  Philadelphia." 
Properly,  "  To  Boston  or  to  Philadelphia." 

"  Whether  I  go  or  not,  what  difference  does  it  make  ? " 
is  the  form  of  expression  that  no  one  finds  fault  with,  while 
"  Whether  ...  no"  is  objected  to  by  many,  and  among 
these  we  find,  for  the  most  part,  the  better  informed. 

Which.  This  pronoun,  as  an  interrogative,  applies  to 
persons  as  well  as  to  things  ;  as  a  relative,  it  is  now  made 
to  refer  to  things  only. 

"  Which  is  employed  in  co-ordinate  sentences,  where  it 
or  they,  and  a  conjunction,  might  answer  the  purpose  ;  thus, 
'  At  school  I  studied  geometry,  which  [and  it]  I  found  use- 
ful afterward.'  Here  the  new  clause  is  something  inde- 
pendent added  to  the  previous  clause,  and  not  limiting  that 
clause  in  any  way.  So  in  the  adjectival  clause  ;  as,  '  He 
struck  the  poor  dog,  which  [and  it,  or  although  it]  had 
never  done  him  harm.'     Such   instances  represent  the  most 


THE    VERBALIST.  -^  I  5 

accurate  meaning  of  which.     Who   and    which  might  be 
termed  the  co-ordinating  relatives. 

"  Which  is  likewise  used  in  restrictive  clauses  that  limit 
or  explain  the  antecedent  ;  as,  '  The  house  which  he  built 
still  remains.'  Here  the  clause  introduced  by  which  speci- 
fies, or  points  out,  the  house  that  is  the  subject  of  the 
statement,  namely,  by  the  circumstance  that  a  certain  per- 
son built  it.  Our  most  idiomatic  writers  prefer  that  in  this 
particular  application,  and  would  say,  '  The  house  that  he 
built  still  remains.' " 

"  Which  sometimes  has  a  special  reference  attaching  to 
it,  as  the  neuter  relative  :  '  Caesar  crossed  the  Rubicon, 
which  was  in  effect  a  declaration  of  war.'  The  antecedent 
in  this  instance  is  not  Rubicon,  but  the  entire  clause. 

"  There  is  a  peculiar  usage  where  which  may  seem  to  be 
still  regularly  used  in  reference  to  persons,  as  in  '  John  is  a 
soldier,  which  I  should  like  to  be '  ;  that  is,  '  And  I  should 
like  to  be  a  soldier:  "  See  That,  Which,  Who. 
Which,  Who,  That.  See  That,  Which,  Who. 
Who.  There  are  few  persons,  even  among  the  most 
cultivated,  that  do  not  make  frequent  mistakes  in  the  use 
of  this  pronoun.  They  say,  "  Who  did  you  see  ?  "  "  Who 
did  you  meet  ?  "  "  Who  did  he  marry  ?  "  "  Who  did  you 
hear?"  "Who  did  he  know?"  "  Who  are  you  writing 
to?"  "  Who  are  you  looking  at  ? "  In  all  these  sentences 
the  interrogative  pronoun  is  in  the  objective  case,  and 
should  be  used  in  the  objective  form,  which  is  whom,  and 
not  who.  To  show  that  these  sentences  are  not  correct, 
and  are  not  defensible  by  supposing  any  ellipsis  whatso- 
ever, we  have  only  to  put  the  questions  in  another  form. 
Take  the  first  one,  and,  instead  of  "  Who  did  you  see  ?  " 
say,  "  Who  saw  you  ? "  which,  if  correct,  justifies  us  in  say- 
ing, "Who  knew  he?"  which  is  the  equivalent  of  "  Who 


316  THE    VERBALIST. 

did  he  know?"  But  "Who  saw  you?"  in  this  instance,  is 
clearly  not  correct,  since  it  says  directly  the  opposite  of 
what  is  intended. 

Who  was  little  used  as  a  relative  till  about  the  sixteenth 
century.  Bain  says  :  "  In  modern  use,  more  especially  in 
books,  who  is  frequently  employed  to  introduce  a  clause 
intended  to  restrict,  define,  limit,  or  explain  a  noun  (or  its 
equivalent)  ;  as, '  That  is  the  man  zvho  spoke  to  us  yester- 
day.' 

"  Here  the  clause  introduced  by  who  is  necessary  to 
define  or  explain  the  antecedent  the  man  ;  without  it,  we 
do  not  know  who  the  man  is.  Such  relative  clauses  are 
typical  adjective  clauses — i.  e.,  they  have  the  same  effect  as 
adjectives  in  limiting  nouns.  This  may  be  called  the 
restrictive  use  of  the  relative. 

"  Now  it  will  be  found  that  the  practice  of  our  most 
idiomatic  writers  and  speakers  is  to  prefer  that  to  who  in 
this  application. 

"  Who  is  properly  used  in  such  co-ordinate  sentences  as, 
'  I  met  the  watchman,  who  told  me  there  had  been  a  fire.' 
Here  the  two  clauses  are  distinct  and  independent  ;  in  such 
a  case,  and  he  might  be  substituted  for  who. 

"Another  form  of  the  same  use  is  when  the  second 
clause  is  of  the  kind  termed  adverbial,  where  we  may  re- 
solve who  into  a  personal  or  demonstrative  pronoun  and 
conjunction.  '  Why  should  we  consult  Charles,  who  [for 
he,  seeing  that  he]  knows  nothing  of  the  matter  ? ' 

"  Who  may  be  regarded  as  a  modern  objective  form, 
side  by  side  with  whom  ;  for  many  good  writers  and 
speakers  say  '  Who  are  you  talking  of?  '  '  Who  does  the  gar- 
den belong  to  ? '   '  Who  is  this  for  ?  *  '  Who  from  ?  '  "  etc. 

If  this  be  true — if  who  may  be  regarded  as  a  modern 
objective  form,  side  by  side  with  whom — then,  of  course, 


THE    VERBALIST. 


317 


such  expressions  as  "  Who  did  you  see  ?  "  "  Who  did  you 
meet  ?  "  "  Who  did  he  marry  ?  "  "  Who  were  you  with  ?  " 
"Who  will  you  give  it  to?"  and  the  like,  are  correct. 
That  they  are  used  colloquially  by  well-nigh  everybody, 
no  one  will  dispute  ;  but  that  they  are  correct,  few  gram- 
marians will  concede.     See  That. 

Whole.  This  word  is  sometimes  most  improperly  used 
for  all ;  thus,  "The  -whole  Germans  seem  to  be  saturated 
with  the  belief  that  they  are  really  the  greatest  people  on 
earth,  and  that  they  would  be  universally  recognized  as 
being  the  greatest,  if  they  were  not  so  exceeding  modest." 
"  The  whole  Russians  are  inspired  with  the  belief  that 
their  mission  is  to  conquer  the  world." — Alison. 

Whole  of.  Improperly  used  for  entire  and  for  all. 
We  say  properly,  the  entire  audience  ;  not,  the  whole  of  the 
audience.  All  the  delegates;  not,  the  whole  of  the  dele- 
gates. 

Wholesome.     See  Healthy. 

Whom.  The  relative  pronoun  who  is  often  very  er- 
roneously put  in  its  objective  form  even  by  persons  whose 
grammar  is  commonly  correct.  "  I  saw  the  man  whom, 
they  thought,  was  dead."  The  parenthetic  clause  they 
thought,  we  see,  on  a  moment's  reflection,  does  not  alter 
the  relation  of  the  relative  to  its  verb  tvas,  hence  it  should 
be,  "  I  saw  the  man  who"  etc.  No  one  would  say,  "  I  saw 
the  man  whom  was  dead." 

"  The  younger  Harper  whom  [who],  they  agree,  was 
rather  nice-looking." 

"The  two  individuals  [persons?]  -whom  [who],  he 
thought,  were  far  away." 

"  Nina  was  annoyed  by  the  presence  of  Mr.  Jekyl, 
whom  [who]  her  brother  insisted  should  remain  to 
dinner." 


3T3 


THE    VERBALIST. 


"  Mr.  and  Mis.  Oswell,  whom  [who],  I  thought,  were 
most  delightful  people." 

"  A  quiet  and  steady  boy,  whom  {who],  I  firmly  believe, 
never  sinned  in  word,  thought,  or  act." 

"  Friday,  whom  [who],  he  thinks,  would  be  better  than 
a  dog,  and  almost  as  good  as  a  pony." 

"  The  Record  has  not  ceased  its  attacks  on  Bishop  Jack- 
son, whom  [who],  it  fears,  may  be  translated  to  the  See  of 
London." 

Whose.  Mr.  George  Washington  Moon  discounte- 
nances the  use  of  whose  as  the  possessive  of  which.  He 
says,  "  The  best  writers,  when  speaking  of  inanimate  ob- 
jects, use  of  which  instead  of  7vhose."  The  correctness  of 
this  statement  is  doubtful.  The  truth  is,  I  think,  that  good 
writers  use  that  form  for  the  possessive  case  of  which  that 
in  their  judgment  is,  in  each  particular  case,  the  more 
euphonious,  giving  the  preference,  perhaps,  to  of  which. 
On  this  subject  Dr.  Campbell  says  :  "  The  possessive  of 
who  is  properly  whose.  The  pronoun  which,  originally  in- 
declinable, had  no  possessive.  This  was  supplied,  in  the 
common  periphrastic  manner,  by  the  help  of  the  preposi- 
tion and  the  article.  But,  as  this  could  not  fail  to  enfeeble 
the  expression,  when  so  much  time  was  given  to  mere  con- 
junctives, all  our  best  authors,  both  in  prose  and  verse, 
have  now  come  regularly  to  adopt,  in  such  cases,  the  pos- 
sessive of  who,  and  thus  have  substituted  one  syllable  in 
the  room  of  three,  as  in  the  example  following  :  '  Philoso- 
phy, whose  end  is  to  instruct  us  in  the  knowledge  of  nature,' 
for  '  Philosophy,  the  end  of  which  is  to  instruct  us.'  Some 
grammarians  remonstrate  ;  but  it  ought  to  be  remembered 
that  use,  well  established,  must  give  law  to  grammar,  and 
not  grammar  to  use." 

Professor  Bain  says :  "  Whose,  although  the  possessive 


THE    VERBALIST.  319 

of  who,  and  practically  of  which,  is  yet  frequently  em- 
ployed for  the  purpose  of  restriction  :  '  We  are  the  more 
likely  to  guard  watchfully  against  those  faults  whose  de- 
formity we  have  seen  fully  displayed  in  others.'  This  is 
better  than  '  the  deformity  of  which  we  have  seen.'  '  Prop- 
ositions of  whose  truth  we  have  no  certain  knowledge.' — 
Locke." 

Dr.  Fitz-Edward  Hall  say.s  that  the  use  of  whose  for  of 
which,  where  the  antecedent  is  not  only  irrational  but  in- 
animate, has  had  the  support  of  high  authority  for  several 
hundred  years. 

Widowhood.  There  is  good  authority  for  using  this 
word  in  speaking  of  men  as  well  as  of  women. 

Widow  woman.  Since  widows  are  always  women, 
why  say  a  widow  woman  ?  It  would  be  correct  to  say  a 
widowed  woman. 

Will — Would.  These  two  auxiliaries  are  continually 
misused  in  conversation  and  in  the  newspapers.  Here  are 
some  examples,  gathered  chiefly  from  the  newspapers  : 

"The  Japanese  said  they  thought  they  would  [should] 
be  in  Peking  on  Nov.  30." 

"  Warden  Sage  said  that  he  would  [should]  not  put 
Buchanan  .  .  .  ;  he  said  that  he  would  [should]  be  gov- 
erned," etc. — N.  Y.  Evening  Sun. 

"  We  would  [should]  not  grieve  if  immigration  were  to 
decline."— N.  Y.  Sun. 

"  Lawyer  Gibbons  said  that  he  had  not  decided  what 
course  he  would  [should]  pursue  ;  he  was  certain,  however, 
that  he  would  [should]  do  nothing  right  away." — N.  Y. 
Evening  Sun. 

"  They  feel  confident  that  out  of  the  3,500  men  they 
will  [shall]  be  able  to  cull  talent  that  shall  [will]  send  the 
department  ahead." — N.  Y.  Evening  Sun, 


320 


THE    VERBALIST. 


"  If  that  be  conservative  ground,  all  we  have  to  say  is 
that  we  would  [should]  like  to  see,"  etc. 

"They  have  a  great  many  fine  old  jewels  in  London, 
but  I  would  [should]  not  be  surprised,"  etc. 

"  Commissioner  Andrews  announced  that  he  would 
[should]  call  a  special  meeting." — N.  Y.  Sun. 

"  Commissioner  Grant  said  he  would  [should]  vote  for 
Commissioner  Roosevelt  for  president." — N.  Y.  Sun. 

"  They  would  [should]  have  a  meeting  to-day,  he  said." 
— N.  Y.  Sun. 

"  He  thought  he  would  [should]  be  able  to  tell  the 
public,"  etc. 

"  I  thought  I  would  [should]  go  wild  with  anguish." 

"  Such  being  the  case,  I  would  [should]  rather  not  talk. 
We  will  [shall]  simply  move  for  a  new  trial.  We  will 
[shall]  have  to  see  how  that  motion  ends." 

"  The  Parade  Committee  sent  a  message  saying  that 
they  would  [should]  be  glad  to  furnish  a  carriage  for  him." 

"  We  would  [should]  not  wonder  if  we  were   told,"  etc. 

"  My  broker  came  to  me,  and  told  me  that  I  would 
[should]  have  to  put  up  more  margin." 

"  He  said  he  did  not  know  yet  whether  or  not  he  would 
[should]  plead  guilty." 

"He  said  he  would  [should]  have  an  investigation 
made." 

"As  we  parted  he  grasped  my  hand,  and  said  he  would 
[should]  look  for  my  speedy  recovery." 

"A  man  asked  me  to-day  if  we  would  [should]  like 
some  squirrels." 

"  The  justice  said  he  was  sorry,  but  that  he  would 
[should]  have  to  commit  him." 

"  Mrs.  Winchester  believes  that  when  her  house  is  fin- 
ished she  will  [shall]  die."— N.  Y.  Sun. 


THE    VERBALIST, 


321 


"  The  cashier  said  that  he  'Mould  [should]  not  have 
hesitated  to  have  paid  [pay]  the  money." 

"  He  says  the  battle  is  hard,  but  he  thinks  he  will 
[shall]  win."— Headline,  N.  Y.  Sun. 

"  We  know  that  our  Defender  is  a  good  fair-weather  boat, 
and  would  [should]  like  to  know  how  she  would  [will]  be- 
have when  the  white  caps  are  out." — N.  Y.  Sun. 

"  If  any  of  the  great  powers  .  .  .  we  would  [should] 
have  been  at  war,"  etc. — St.  James  Gazette. 

"  The  Bannocks  and  Shoshones  have  just  given  notice 
that  they  will  [shall]  demand  from  the  Government  fulfill- 
ment of  the  treaty  of  1868,  and  will  [shall]  insist  on  protec- 
tion in  the  exercise  of  their  rights." 

"  Follow  the  dictates  of  your  own  patriotic  impulse  and 
business  instincts,  and  we  will  [shall]  be  all  right." — N.  Y. 
Sun. 

"  Will  [shall]  we  come  to  this  dress  suit?"— N.  Y. 
Sun. 

"  Mr.  Bonner  told  his  family  that  he  did  not  know 
exactly  how  long  he  would  [should]  be  away,  but  said  that 
he  would  [should]  be  back  in  time  to  spend  the  Christmas 
holidays,  if  possible." — N.  Y.  Sun. 

"  Gen.  Schofield  said  that  he  will  [should]  go  out  of 
town  on  a  visit  over  Sunday,  and  will  [should]  return  on 
Tuesday." — N.  Y.  Evening  Sun. 

"  Otherwise,  they  declare,  they  would  [should]  have 
beaten  the  Yigilant  more." — N.  Y.  Sun. 

In  the  first  person,  the  bare  fact  of  futurity  is  always 
expressed  by  shall.  "I  shall  go  to  Philadelphia  to-mor- 
row." "  He  says  he  shall  go  to  Philadelphia  to-morrow." 
"  He  said  he  should  go  to  Philadelphia  to-morrow."  We 
use  will  in  the  first  person  when  we  promise,  or  express 
determination,  and  only  then* 


^22  THE    VERBALIST. 

"  I  will  not  die  alone  " — i.  e.,  I  am  determined  that 
others  shall  die  with  me.  "  I  shall  not  die  alone  " — i.  e., 
events  will  cause  others  to  die  with  me. 

"  I  will  go  to  Philadelphia  in  spite  of  you."  "  lie  says 
he  will  go  to  Philadelphia  in  spite  of  you."  "  He  said  he 
would  go  to  Philadelphia  in  spite  of  you."     Determination. 

"  We  would  [should]  hate  to  hear  of  the  slaughter  of 
any  of  our  countrymen  in  Cuba." — N.  Y.  Sun. 

"  The  use  of  will  in  the  sentence,  '  We  will  publish  the 
correct  reading  in  our  next  number,'  is  perfectly  cor- 
rect. It  expresses  present  intention  of  a  future  act." 
— N.  Y.  Evening  Sun.  Not  so.  In  the  first  person, 
simple  intention  is  expressed  with  shall.  See  Shall  and 
Will. 

Without.  This  word  is  often  improperly  used  instead 
of  unless  ;  as,  "  You  will  never  live  to  my  age  without  you 
keep  yourself  in  breath  and  exercise."  "  I  shall  not  go 
without  my  father  consents  " :  properly,  unless  my  father 
consents,  or,  ivithout  my  father's  consent. 

"  It  has  brought  me  here,  Sara,  and  I  can  not  leave  you 
without  you  promise  that  you  will  not  become  the  wife  of  a 
man  who  drinks "  :  should  be,  "  without  your  promise," 
or,  "  unless  you  promise." 

"  You  know  my  uncle  declared  he  would  not  suffer  me 
to  return  without  [unless]  my  mamma  desired  it." 

Woman.  "  John  P>rown,  having  been  sent  the  other 
day  at  Balmoral  by  the  Queen  in  quest  of  the  lady  in  wait- 
ing, who  happened  to  be  the  Duchess  of  Athole,  suddenly 
stumbled  against  her.  '  Hoot,  mam,'  cried  J.  B., '  ye're  just 
the  woman  I  was  looking  for.'  The  enraged  Duchess 
dashed  incontinently  into  the  royal  presence  and  exclaimed 
to  her  Majesty  :  '  Madame,  J.  B.  has  insulted  me  ;  he  has 
had  the  impertinence  to  call  nie  a  woman.'     To  which  the 


THE    VERBALIST.  323 

Queen  replied,  '  And  pray,  what  are  you  ?  '  " — N.  Y.  Sun. 
See  Lady  ;  also  Gentleman. 

Worst.     We  should  say  at  the  worst,  not  at  worst. 

Worst  kind.  A  vulgarism  that  we  sometimes  hear 
used  in  the  sense  of  very  much.  "  I  want  to  go  the  worst 
kind  [very  much]." 

Wove.  The  past  participle  of  the  verb  to  weave  is 
woven.     "  Where  was  this  cloth  woven  ?  " — not  wove. 

You  are  mistaken.     See  Mistaken. 

You  'was.  Good  usage  does,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped 
always  will,  consider  you  7uas  a  gross  vulgarism,  certain 
grammarians  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding.  You  is  the 
form  of  the  pronoun  in  the  second  person  plural,  and  must, 
if  we  would  speak  correctly,  be  used  with  the  correspond- 
ing form  of  the  verb.  The  argument  that  we  use  you  in  the 
singular  number  is  so  nonsensical  that  it  does  not  merit  a 
moment's  consideration.  It  is  a  custom  we  have — and 
have  in  common  with  other  peoples — to  speak  to  one  an- 
other in  the  second  person  plural,  and  that  is  all  there  is  of 
it.  The  Germans  speak  to  one  another  in  the  third  person 
plural.  The  exact  equivalent  in  German  of  our  How  are 
you  ?  is,  How  are  they  ? 

Yours,  &c.  The  ignorant  and  obtuse  not  infrequently 
profess  themselves  at  the  bottom  of  their  letters  "  Yours, 
&c."  And  so  forth  !  forth  what  ?  Few  other  vulgarisms  are 
equally  offensive,  and  none  could  be  more  offensive.  In 
printing  correspondence,  the  newspapers  often  content 
themselves  with  this  shorthand  way  of  intimating  that  the 
writer's  name  was  abbreviated  by  some  one  of  the  familiar 
forms  of  ending  letters;  this  an  occasional  dunderhead 
seems  to  think  is  sufficient  authority  for  writing  himself, 
Yours,  &C. 


3 24  rnE    VERBALIST. 

Amateur — Novice.  There  is  much  confusion  in  the 
use  of  these  two  words,  although  they  are  entirely  distinct 
from  each  other  in  meaning.  An  amateur  is  one  versed  in, 
or  a  lover  and  practicer  of,  any  particular  pursuit,  art,  or 
science,  but  not  engaged  in  it  professionally.  A  novice  is 
one  who  is  new  or  inexperienced  in  any  art  or  business — a 
beginner,  a  tyro.  A  professional  actor,  then,  who  is  new 
and  unskilled  in  his  art,  is  a  novice,  and  not  an  amateur. 
An  amateur  may  be  an  artist  of  great  experience  and  ex- 
traordinary skill. 

Answer — Reply.  These  two  words  should  not  be 
used  indiscriminately.  An  answer  is  given  to  a  question  ; 
a  reply,  to  an  assertion.  When  we  are  addressed,  we  an- 
siver ;  when  we  are  accused,  we  reply.  We  answer  letters, 
and  reply  to  any  arguments,  statements,  or  accusations  they 
may  contain.  Crabb  is  in  error  in  saying  that  replies  "  are 
used  in  personal  discourse  only."  Replies,  as  well  as  an- 
swers, are  written.  We  very  properly  write,  "  I  have 
now,  I  believe,  answered  all  your  questions  and  replied  to 
all  your  arguments."  A  rejoinder 'is  made  to  a  reply.  "  Who 
goes  there  ? "  he  cried,  and  receiving  no  answer,  he  fired. 
"  The  advocate  replied  to  the  charges  made  against  his 
client." 

Effectuate.  This  word,  together  with  ratiocinate  and 
eventuate,  is  said  to  be  a  great  favorite  with  the  rural  mem- 
bers of  the  Arkansas  Legislature. 

Language.  A  note  in  Worcester's  Dictionary  says : 
"Language  is  a  very  general  term,  and  is  not  strictly  con- 
fined to  utterance  by  words,  as  it  is  also  expressed  by  the 
countenance,  by  the  eyes,  and  by  signs.  Tongue  refers 
especially  to  an  original  language ;  as,  '  the  Hebrew 
tongue!  The  modern  languages  are  derived  from  the 
original  tongues," 


INDEX. 


A,  I  ;  kind  of  a,  156. 
A  while  since,  27. 
Ability,  1. 
Able,  39. 
Abortive,  2. 
Above,  2. 
Absolute,  124. 
Absolutely,  63,  257. 
Absurd,  198. 
Accept  of,  2. 
Accident,  47. 
Accord,  3. 
Accuse,  30. 
Acme,  50. 
Acquaintance,  101. 
Ad,  3. 
Adapt,  3. 
Address,  21. 
Adduce,  7. 
Adjectives,  right  and 

3,  86  ;  overuse,  78, 

verbs,  215. 
Administer,  4. 
Admit,  6,  8. 
Adopt,  4. 
Advance,  7. 
Advent,  5. 
Adverbs     used      for 

165. 


wrong  use, 
99  ;  for  ad- 


adjectives, 


Affect,  77. 

Afterward,  101,  102. 

Aggravate,  5. 

Aggregate,  5. 

Ago,  6,  257  ;  a  while  ago,  27. 

Agree,  6. 

Agriculturist,  6. 

Ain't,  6. 

Alford  criticised  by  Gould,  107. 

Alike,  6. 

All,  302. 

of,  6. 

others,  191. 

over,  6. 

the  same,  8. 
Allege,  7. 
Allegory,  7. 
Allow,  8,  205. 
Allude,  8. 
Almost,  177. 
Alone,  9,  119,  196. 
Alternative,  10,  80. 
Always,  10. 
Amateur,  324. 
Ameliorate,  10. 
American  English,  32. 

orthoepy,  34. 
Among,  10,  30. 

one  another,  10. 


325 


326 


INDEX. 


Amount  of  perfection,  n. 

to,  s. 
An  bef ore  h ,  1 1 . 
And,  ii. 

which,  or,  and  that,  12. 
Angry,  167. 
Another,  such,  273. 
Answer,  324. 
Antecedents,  13. 
Anticipate,  13. 
Antiquarian,  15. 
Antithesis,  15. 
Anxious,  16. 
Any,  18,  191. 
Anybody  else,  18. 
Anyhow,  18. 
Anything,  260. 
Apart,  22. 
Aphorism,  19. 
Apostrophe  (rhetorical  figure),  19  ; 

(punctuation  mark),  237. 
Appeal  to,  21. 
Appear,  250. 
Appreciate,  19. 
Apprehend,  20. 
Approach,  21. 
Approve,  129. 
Apt,  21,  163. 
Arctics,  247. 
Aren't,  21. 
Arrive,  5. 
Artist,  21. 
As,  21,  163. 

though,  23. 
Ascribe,  124. 
Aside,  22. 
Asperse,  22. 
Assign,  7. 
Assure,  216. 
At,  23. 

all,  23. 


At  auction,  24. 

best,  24. 

least,  24. 
Ate,  77. 

Auction,  at  or  by,  24. 
Audience,  25. 
Authoress,  25. 
Avenge,  26. 
Avocation,  26,  312. 
Avoid,  27,  113. 
Award,  3. 
Awful,  27. 

Bad  cold,  27. 

Badly,  27. 

Baggage,  167. 

Balance,  27. 

Balustrade,  28. 
'   Banister,  28. 

Barbarism,  28,  259. 

Barn,  28. 
,   Base,  210. 

Bashful,  175. 

Be,  264. 
that  as  it  will,  30. 

Beastly,  28. 

Beau,  28. 

Beautifully,  looks,  165. 

Been  to,  28. 

Before,  28. 

Beg  to,  28. 

Begin,  29,  51,  125. 

Beginner,  new,  181. 

Being,  131. 

Belong,  29. 

Belongings,  29. 

Beside,  besides,  29. 

Better,  30. 

Between.  30. 

Black,  blacken,  30. 

Blame  it  on,  30. 


INDEX. 


327 


Bogus,  30. 

Both,  30. 

Bound,  31. 

Brackets,  237. 

Bran-new,  31. 

Bravery,  31. 

Bring,  32. 

British  ag't  American  English,  32. 

orthoepy,  34. 
Bryant's  prohibited  words,  126. 
Bulk,  37. 
Bully,  37. 
Burst,  92. 
But,  37,  90. 
Buy,  245. 
By,  38,  212. 

Calamity,  39. 

Calculate,  39. 

Caliber,  40. 

Calligraphy,  40. 

Calumniate,  22. 

Can,  169. 

Cant,  40. 

Capable,  41. 

Capacity,  1. 

Capitals,  237. 

Caption,  41. 

Caret,  41. 

Carnival,  42. 

Carry,  32. 

Case,  42. 

Casualty,  47. 

Celebrity,  47. 

Character,  47. 

Cheap,  48. 

Cherubim,  48. 

Chiefly,  48. 

Childish,  49. 

Circumstances,  under  the,  30-2. 

Citizen,  49. 


Claim,  49. 

Clauses,  misplaced,  172. 

Clever,  49. 

Climax,  50. 

Cobbett,  his  advice  on  writing,  41. 

Cold,  bad,  27. 

Colon,  232. 

Comma,  223. 

Commence,  29,  51. 

Common,  177. 

Commonly,  103. 

Comparison,  52. 

Compensate,  53. 

Completed,  52. 

Completion,  final,  95. 

Comprehend,  20. 

Condign,  52. 

Condone,  53. 

Confess,  198. 

Confirmed  invalid,  53. 

Congregate  together,  53. 

Connection,  156. 

Conquer,  53. 

Consequence,  54. 

Consider,  54. 

Considerable,  238. 

Contemptible,  54. 

Contemptuous,  54. 

Contingency,  47. 

Continually,  205. 

Continue  on,  55. 

Continuous — continual,  55. 

Convene,  56. 

Conversationist,  55. 

Converse,  55. 

Convince,  248. 

Convoke,  56. 

Co-operate  together,  56. 

Corporeal— corporal,  57. 

Counsel,  240. 

Couple,  57. 


328 


INDEX. 


Courage,  31. 
Create,  57. 
Credible,  58. 
Creditable,  58. 
Crime,  58. 
Crushed  out,  59. 
Cultured,  59. 

Dangerous,  59. 
Dash,  235. 
Dearest,  59. 
Debase,  61. 
Decade,  60. 
Deceiving,  61. 
Decide  upon,  4. 
Decimate,  61. 
Defame,  22. 
Demean,  61. 
Denude,  61. 
Depart,  61. 
Depot,  239. 
Deprecate,  62. 
Depreciate,  63. 
Description,  62. 
Desirous,  16. 
Desperately,  62. 
Despicable,  54. 
Despite,  62. 
Destroy,  190. 
Detect,  63. 
Deteriorate,  63. 
Determined,  31. 
Detract,  22. 
Diametrically,  63. 
Diction,  63. 
Die  with,  from,  71. 
Differ,  71. 
Diffident,  175. 
Directly,  72. 
Dirt,  72. 
Disagree,  73. 


Discommode,  73. 
D  scover,  63. 
Discriminate,  73. 
Disposition,  73. 
Disremember,  73. 
Distinguish,  63,  73. 
Divers,  diverse,  73. 
Dock,  74. 
Donate,  74. 
Done,  74. 
Don't,  76. 
Doomed,  31. 
Downward,  101. 
Dramatize,  3. 
Drank,  76. 
Drawing-room,  199. 
Dress,  76. 
Drive,  34,  246. 
Due,  77. 

Dwight,  Dr.  Timothy,  his  diction 
criticised,  69. 

Each,  78. 

other,  77. 
Earth,  72. 
Eat,  77. 
Editorial,  77. 
Effect,  77. 
Effectuate,  324. 
Effluvium,  78. 

Effort  without  effect,  78,  90,  99. 
Either,  78. 

alternative,  80. 
Elder,  191. 
Electricute,  80. 
Elegant,  81. 
Elicit,  81. 
Eliminate,  81. 
Ellipsis,  83  ;  of  verbs,  305. 
Else,  18,  83. 
Embody,  83. 


INDEX. 


329 


Emerson  as  a  writer  of  swosh,  275. 

Emigrant,  84. 

Encounter,  84. 

Ending  of  sentences,  84. 

Endways,  162. 

Enjoy  bad  health,  85. 

Enquire,  85. 

Enthuse,  85. 

Epigram,  85. 

Epithet,  86. 

transferred,  299. 
Equally  as  well,  86. 
Equanimity  of  mind,  87. 
Erratum,  87. 
Esquire,  87. 
Et  cetera,  87. 
Euphemism,  88. 
Ever,  181,  250. 
Everlastingly,  88. 
Every,  88. 

Every-day  Latin,  88. 
Evidence,  89,  220. 
Exaggeration,  78,  90,  99. 
Excellence,  degree  of,  11. 
Except,  90. 
Excessively,  90. 
Excise  laws,  91. 
Exclamation  point,  234. 
Exclude,  81. 
Execute,  gi. 
Expect,  13,  91. 
Experience,  92. 
Explode,  92. 
Express,  303. 
Extend,  92. 

Fall,  92. 

Fallacy,  specious,  261. 
Family,  95. 
Farther,  95. 
Female,  95. 

22 


Fetch,  32. 

Fewer,  162. 

Figures  of  speech.  7,  15,   19,  85, 

88,  120,  170,  171,  206,  247,  257, 

278,  299. 
Final  completion,  95. 
Financial,  95. 
Find,  96. 
Finished,  52. 
Fire,  96. 
First,  97. 
Firstly,  97. 
First-rate,  97. 
Fit,  39. 
Fix,  97. 
Flee,  98. 
Flock,  98. 

Fly,  98.  99- 

For,  200,  212  ;  think  for,  296, 

Forcible-feeble,  78,  90,  99. 

Foresee,  13. 

Foretell,  210. 

Former,  100. 

Forward,  101. 

Found,  210. 

Frequently,  103. 

Friend,  101. 

From,  71,  212. 

Further,  95. 

Future,  102. 

Gender,  102. 
Generally,  102. 
Genitive,  double,  76. 
Gentleman,  103,  158. 
Gents,  104. 
Gerund,  105. 
Girl,  105. 
Going  to,  156. 
Good,  105. 
Goodc.,  105. 


33Q 


INDEX. 


Got,  106. 

Gould  against  Alford,  107. 

Gown,  76. 

Graduated,  108. 

Grammar,  false,  92. 

Grammatical  errors,  108. 

Gratuitous,  no. 

Greek,  Grecian,  no. 

Grow,  no. 

Guess,  in. 

Gums,  247. 

H,  an  before,  n. 
Had  have,  in. 

ought,  in. 

rather,  in. 
Hain't,  112. 
Handy,  112. 
Hanged,  112. 
Hardly,  112. 
Hardy,  247. 
Haste,  119. 
Heading,  41. 
Healthy,  112. 
Help,  113. 
Helpmate,  113. 
Hence,  113. 
Het,  164. 
Highfalutin,  113. 
Hints,  115. 
Hit,  118. 
Honorable,  246. 
House,  245. 
How,  118. 
However,  119. 
Humanitarianism,  119. 
Hung,  112. 
Hurry,  119. 
Hyperbole,  120. 

I,  216. 

Ice  cream,  ice  water,  120. 


Idea,  lai. 
If,  121. 

HI,  255- 

Illy,  121. 

Imaginary,  274. 

Immediately,  263. 

Immigrant,  84. 

Immodest,  122. 

Imperfect  tense,  misuse,  122. 

Implicate,  131. 

Implicit,  124. 

Importance,  54. 

Impropriety,  124. 

Improve,  10. 

Impute,  124. 

In,  into,  125. 

our  midst,  125. 

respect  of,  12s. 

so  far  as,  130. 
Inaugurate,  125. 
Increase,  239. 
Indecent,  122. 
Indelicate,  122. 
Index  expurgatorius,  126. 
Indicative  and  subjunctive,  127. 
Individual,  128. 
Indorse,  129. 
Inferior,  129. 
Infinitive  mood,  129. 
Inform,  210. 
Infrequent,  250. 
Initiate,  130. 

Innumerable  number,  130. 
Inquire,  85. 
Intend,  40,  130,  220. 
Interrogation,  130. 

point,  234. 
Introduce,  214. 
Involve,  131. 
Irony,  131. 
Irritate,  5. 


INDEX. 


331 


Is  being,  131. 
It,  153. 
goes  without  saying,  155. 

Jeopardize,  156. 
Jug,  156,  208. 
Just  going  to,  156. 
next,  156. 

Kids,  156. 
Kind,  209. 

of,  156. 
Kinsman,  156. 
Knights  Templars,  157. 

Lady,  103,  104,  157. 
Lampoon,  248. 
Language,  324. 
Last,  160,  203. 
Latin  phrases,  88. 
Latter,  100,  160. 
Lay,  160. 
Learn,  161. 
Leave,  161. 
Lend,  164. 
Lengthened,  162. 
Lengthways,  162. 
Lengthy,  162. 
Leniency,  162. 
Less,  162. 
Lesser,  162. 
Lesson,  63. 
Liable,  21,  163. 
License  laws,  91. 
Lie,  160. 
Like — as,  163. 
Like — love,  166. 
Likely,  21,  163. 
Limited,  164. 
Lit,  164. 
Live,  244. 


Loan,  164. 

Locate,  164. 

Loggerheads,  165. 

Looks  beautifully,  1C5. 

Loss,  39. 

Lot — lots,  166. 

Loud,  166. 

i^ove,  166. 

Lovely,  167. 

Low,  T64. 

priced,  48. 
Lower,  61. 
Luggage,  167. 
Lunch,  167. 
Luxurious— luxuriant,  167, 

Mad,  167. 
Maintain,  49. 
Make  a  visit,  168. 
Malaria,  168. 
Marry,  168. 
May,  169. 
Meat,  169. 
Meet  with,  274. 
Memorandum,  r69. 
Memorialize,  21. 
Mention,  r8o. 
Mercenary,  304. 
Mere,  169. 
Merely,  170. 
Merited,  52. 
Metaphor,  170. 
Metonymy,  171. 
Middling,  171. 
Mighty,  172. 
Mind,  172. 

equanimity,  87,  172. 
Minutiae,  trifling,  301. 
Misplaced  clauses,  172. 

words,  173. 
Mistaken,  175. 


332 


INDEX. 


Modest,  175. 

Modiste,  176. 

Moment,  54. 

-Monetary,  95. 

Monopoly,  176. 

Mood  of  verbs,  127,  129,  131,  263. 

More  perfect,  176. 

Most,  176. 

Mutual,  177. 

Myself,  179,  240. 

Name,  180. 
Nasty,  180. 
Nation,  204. 
Nearly,  9. 
Neither,  79,  180. 
Never,  181,  250. 
New  beginner,  181. 
News,  181. 
Nice,  181. 
Nicely,  182. 
No,  182. 

use,  187. 
None,  183. 
Nor,  180,  182. 
Not,  183,  184. 
Noted,  184. 
Nothing  like,  184. 
Notorious,  184. 
Noun  construction,  184,  306. 
Nouns,  verbal,  306. 
Novice,  324. 
Novitiate,  187. 
Number,  188,  238. 

innumerable,  130. 
Numerous,  180. 

O — oh,  190. 
Obedience,  190. 
Obligation,  246. 
Obliterate,  190. 


Observe,  191. 

Of,   accept,   2  ;   all  of,  6  ;   in  re- 
spect   of,    125 ;    off    of,    191  ; 
taste,  etc.,  of,  279  ;  whole  of, 
317  ;  with  participles,  200. 
Of  all  others,  191. 

any,  191. 
Often,  191. 
Older,  191. 

On,  192,  263  ;  continue  on,  55. 
One,  193. 

another,    77 ;    among    one    an- 
other, 10. 
Ones,  194. 
Only,  9,  119,  195. 
Open,  198. 
Opinion,  121. 
Or — nor,  79. 
Oral,  305. 

Orthoepy,  British  against  Ameri- 
can, 34. 
Other,  197. 

each,  77. 
Others,  of  all,  191. 
Ought,  197,  246. 

had,  in. 
Over,  197. 

twice,  301. 
Overalls,  197. 
Overcome,  53. 
Overflown,  197. 
Overly,  197. 
Overshoes,  247. 
Owing,  77. 
Own,  198. 

Panacea,  198. 
Pantaloons,  198. 
Pants,  198. 
Paradox,  198. 
Paragraph,  237. 


INDEX. 


153 


Paraphernalia,  199. 

Parenthesis,  236. 

Parlor,  199. 

Part,  210. 

Partake,  199. 

Partially — partly,  199. 

Participles,  200. 

Particles,  200. 

Party,  201. 

Passive  voice,  131,  201. 

Past,  203. 

Patronize,  203. 

Pay,  252. 

Pecuniary,  95. 

Pell-mell,  204. 

People,  204. 

Per,  205. 

Perfect,  more,  176. 

Perfection,  amount  of,  n. 

Perform,  205. 

Performance,  243. 

Period,  234. 

Permit,  205. 

Perpetually,  205. 

Person,  128,  201. 

a  young,  34. 
Personalty,  206. 
Personification,  206. 
Perspicuity — perspicacity,  207. 
Persuade,  20S. 
Peruse,  208. 
Petition,  21. 
Phenomenon,  208. 
Pitcher,  156,  208. 
Place,  208. 
Plead,  208. 
Plenty,  209. 
Pleonasm,  209. 
Poetess,  25. 
Point  of  view,  261. 
Polite,  209. 


Portion,  210. 

Possessive  case,  45. 

Posted,  210. 

Precisely  similar,  210. 

Predicate,  210. 

Predict,  210,  211. 

Prejudice — prepossess,  212. 

Prepositions,  212,  236 ;  at  the 
end  of  sentences,  84. 

Present,  214. 

Presumptive,  215,  274. 

Prevent,  27,  113. 

Preventive,  215. 

Previous,  215. 

Previously,  6. 

Privilege,  211. 

Prize,  20. 

Procure,  216. 

Profanity,  216. 

Promise,  216. 

Promote,  216. 

Pronouns,  case  of,  42 ;  of  the 
first  person,  216  ;  of  the  sec- 
ond person,  219;  reflexive, 
240 ;  relative,  286. 

Proof,  220. 

Propose,  220. 

Proposition — prop"4*!,  221. 

Prosaist,  221. 

Proven,  222. 

Providing,  322. 

Provoke,  5. 

Public,  204. 

Punctuation,  «<ir 

Pupil,  248. 

Purchase,  238,  24* 

Purpose,  130,  220. 

Put  up,  238. 

Quantity,  238. 
Quit,  238. 


354 


INDEX. 


Quite,  238. 

Quotations,  threadbare,  297. 

Railway,  239. 
Raise,  239. 
Rare,  239,  250 
Rarely,  239. 
Rather,  had,  in. 

than,  28. 
Ratiocinate,  324. 
Real,  240. 
Really,  257. 
Rear,  239. 
Receive,  274. 
Recognize,  63. 
Recollect,  243. 
Recommend,  240. 
Redundancy,  209. 
Refer,  9. 
Regard,  54. 

Relation — relative,  156,  241. 
Relative  pronouns,  286. 
Relatives,  superfluous,  273. 
Reliable,  241. 
Remainder,  27. 
Remember,  243. 
Rendition,  243. 
Repeating  a  word,  15. 
Repetition,  243,  280. 
Replace,  244. 
Reply,  324. 
Reputation,  47. 
Reside,  244. 
Residence,  245. 
Response,  190. 
Rest,  27. 
Restive,  245. 
Resurrect,  245. 
Retire,  245. 
Revenge,  26. 
Reverend,  246. 


Reverse,  56. 
Rhetoric,  246. 
Ride,  34,  246. 
Right,  2ii,  246. 
Robust,  247. 
Rolling,  246. 
Rubbers,  247. 
Rugged,  247. 
Run,  247. 

Sabbath,  247. 
Same,  247. 

as,  22. 
Sanction,  129. 
Sang,  258. 
Sarcasm,  247. 
Satire,  247. 
Satisfy,  248. 
Saw,  248. 
Say,  7,  262,  303. 
Saying,  it  goes  without,  155. 
Scholar,  248. 
Science,  249. 
Score,  249. 
Section,  250. 
Seem,  250. 
Seldom,  250. 
Semicolon,  231. 
Seraphim,  48,  251. 
Set,  251. 

out,  61. 
Setback,  251. 
Settle,  164,  252. 
Shall,  252,  266. 
Shimmy,  255. 
Shire,  255. 

Should,  107,  254,  264, 
Sick,  34,  255. 
Sideways,  162. 
Signature,  256. 
Signs,  256. 


INDEX. 


335 


Similar,  precisely,  210. 
Simile,  257. 
Simply,  170,  257. 
Sin,  58. 
Since,  257. 

a  while,  27. 
Single,  259. 
Sit,  251. 
Slander,  22. 
Slang,  259. 
Slender,  164. 
Slight,  164. 
Small,  164. 
Smart,  49. 
Smash,  259. 
So,  22,  272. 

much  so,  260. 
Sobriquet,  259. 
Solecism,  259. 
Some,  260. 
Somebody  else's,  18. 
Something,  260. 
Specialty,  261. 
Specious  fallacy,  261. 
Spectators,  25. 
Spelling,  American,  33. 
Splendid,  261. 
Standpoint,  261. 
State,  262. 
Station,  239. 
Stay,  262. 
Stent,  262. 
Stop,  238,  262. 
Storm,  263. 
Straightway,  253. 
Street,  263. 
Stricken,  263. 
Struck,  263. 
Style,  263. 

Subjunctive  mood,  263. 
Subsequent,  102. 


Such,  272. 

Suffer,  92. 

Suited,  39. 

Summon,  273. 

Sunday,  247. 

Sung,  258. 

Superfluous  relatives,  273. 

words,  273. 
Superior,  129,  273. 
Superlatives,  78,  90,  99,  309. 
Suppose,  91. 
Supposititious,  274. 
Sure,  274. 
Susceptible,  41. 
Suspect,  30,  91. 
Sustain,  274. 
Swosh,  274. 
Synecdoche,  278. 

Take,  4. 

dinner,  278. 
Talented,  278. 
Taste  of,  279. 
Tautology,  279. 
Tautophony,  279. 
Teach,  161,  280. 
Tense,  in,  122,  248,  280,  313. 
Testimony,  89,  220. 
Than,  282. 

whom,  284. 
Thanks,  286. 
That,  286  ;  and  that,  12. 
The,  246,  295. 
Then,  296. 
Thence,  314. 
They,  102,  188. 
Think,  8,  54. 

for,  296. 
Those  kind,  297. 
Thou,  219. 
Threadbare  quotations,  297, 


336 


INDEX. 


Through,  297. 

Throw,  96. 

Tidings,  181. 

To,  212  ;  been  to,  28  ;  in  gerund, 
105  ;  in  respect  to,  125  ;  sepa- 
rated from  its  verb,  297. 

To  the  fore,  299. 

Tongue,  299. 

Toward,  101,  299. 

Townsend,  Prof.  L.  T.,  his  Art 
of  Speech  criticised,  64,  113, 

3°7- 
Transferred  epithet,  299. 
Transpire,  299. 
Trifling  minutiae,  301. 
Trustworthy,  242. 
Truth,  305. 
Try,  301. 
Twice  over,  301. 

Ugly,  301. 

Unbeknown,  301. 

Under  the  circumstances,  302. 

Underhanded,  301. 

Understand,  302 

Unique,  302. 

Universal,  302. 

Unless,  90,  302,  322. 

Upon,  192,  302. 

Upward,  101. 

of,  302. 
Usage,  303. 
Use  to,  303. 
Usually,  103. 
Utter,  303. 

Valuable,  304. 
Value,  20. 
Vanquish,  53. 
Vast,  304. 
Venal,  3°4- 


Venial,  304. 

Veracity,  305. 

Verb,  ellipses  of,  305. 

mood,  127,  129,  131,  263. 

tense,  in,  122,  248,  280,  313. 

voice,  131,  201. 
Verbal,  305. 

nouns,  306. 
Verbiage,  307. 
Very,  309. 
Vice,  58. 
Vicinity,  311. 
Visit,  make,  168. 
Vocation,  26,  312. 
Voice,  312. 

of  verbs,  131,  201. 
Vulgar,  312. 

Was,  313  ;  you  was,  223. 
Way,  313. 
Ways,  313. 
We,  216. 
Well,  105,  313. 
Were,  264. 
Wharf,  74. 
What,  313. 
When,  since,  258. 
Whence,  314. 
Whether,  121,  314. 
Which,  286,  314  ;  and  which,  12. 
Who,  286,  315. 
Whole,  317. 
Wholesome,  112. 
Whom,  317. 
than,  284. 
Whose,  318. 
Widow  woman,  319. 
Widowhood,  319. 
Will,  252,  266,  319. 
Will,  be  that  as  it,  30. 
With,  10,  71,  200,  212. 


INDEX. 


537 


Without,  322. 
Woman,  157,  322. 
Words,  misplaced,  173. 
Worst,  323. 
kind,  323. 
Would,  254,  267,  319. 
Wove,  323. 


Writing,  Cobbett's  advice  on,  41, 
hints  on,  115. 

Ye,  219. 
You,  219. 
Yours,  etc.,  323, 
Yourself,  240. 


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(37) 


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